Haunted
by emptyvoices
Summary: COMPLETE:Crossover Between Red Eye and Batman Begins Lisa and Jane unite together finding themselves trapped once more in Arkham, the former asylum for the criminally insane as they fight for their very sanity and survival.JaneAngie are OFC's of Not Human
1. Internal Dilemma

Lisa Reisert's screams pierced the air once more as she sat up in the darkened bedroom. Her shuddering breaths slowly left her chest as she once again tried to remind herself what her subconscious seemed to forget. The gruesome night spent with Jackson Rippner happened two years ago.

Getting up slowly, she looked at the clock and as the digital numbers came into focus, she was reminded briefly of the glare of the arrivals and departures display at the Dallas International Airport announcing that Fresh Air flight 1019 had been delayed. She shook her head vigorously to expel the image from her mind as she realized that it was four in the morning and once again a peaceful slumber had been denied to her exhausted mind.

To her friends and family, she attempted to put on a brave front wanting more then anything to plunge into the comforting routine of her day to day activities. However, as time progressed, Lisa began to feel more disconnected and isolated from those very people that cared for her. It wasn't due to the fact that Lisa allowed her fear to have control causing herself to barricade the doors of her apartment and for her, that was insidiously tempting. The more she forced herself to go to different social engagements with acquaintances, the more lost she felt from the stark reality of the world.

Life was cruel and nature never seems to assert a balance between acts of decency and those of barbarism. Bitterness welled up in her chest once again at Jackson's attempt to use her affability to his own advantage. She could almost taste the unpleasant bay breeze she had with him and her loathing increased. She was trying to break free of the shackles the rape of four years ago had put on her life.

The rape had caused her to live in a prison of her own fear. She had always avoided dating any man fearful of the intimacy that was certain to follow. The idea of a man touching her again sickened her. Sex as a concept seemed like a dirty word to describe a perversion of the mind. Her scar stood out as a vivid reminder of the injury she carried with her in her head.

In that airport, she forced herself to approach the man she found somewhat attractive. "_His eyes…"_ She thought to herself. His eyes were a peculiar shade of blue but they seemed haunting to her. When she had first made eye contact with Jackson, a chill immediately went down her spine. She had tried to dispel those thoughts of hesitation feeling ridiculous as she tried to reassert herself in the bathroom. She would always remember that thought that had decided her fate. _"Are you going to let that rape control your life?"_ Taking a deep breath she had proceeded to the chair next to his at the bar.

Now two men seemed to cause invisible chains that restrained her from ever experiencing the life she was meant to have. Filled with sudden rage, Lisa suddenly grabbed her clock radio and threw it hard against the wall watching it break against the impact. She had read the newspaper weeks ago that announced on page three that Jackson Rippner had somehow managed to escape from the federal prison he was sent. It resonated through her that it wasn't even a front page item and that the newspaper had deemed it unimportant enough not to gain that kind of attention. The idea of him free to harm others in his style of using quiet threats repulsed her. "_They should of given him the electric chair." _She thought hatefully as she stumbled into the bathroom.

Her nightmare had once again brought her back to that night and Lisa felt that she had failed an eternal struggle between the darker recesses of her heart. Flashes of memory went through her mind as she sank to her knees recalling Jackson in the suffocating airplane bathroom pressing himself against her as she struggled while he delicately pulled down her blouse to reveal the scar she had always carefully kept hidden. "_Did someone do that to you?" He asked with almost a small vestige_ _of concern. "Is that what this is about?"_

Bile crept into her throat at the thought of his hands touching the same area where the attacker had originally poised his knife. She bent her head over the toilet vomiting what little she ate that day. As the dreams worsened, her appetite plunged causing her to lose weight from her already slender form. In the mirror, her gaunt face peered back at her like a leering insult. Grabbing a glass of water, she rinsed out her mouth. _"This cannot go on."_ She thought but she knew she had little control. Since the intricate balance of her life was thrown off track by Jackson Rippner, she desperately tried to regain a firm hold of her routines and to the habits she found comforting.

However, she found no comfort in them as she felt that those same activities were tainted by Jackson as he used them without mercy against her accusing her of being a loner as a result. Her control now was found in food as she obsessively kept to a strict regimen of exercise and dieting feeling the initial hunger pains as a loving distraction from the pain internally. She needed that agony of hunger as it gave her mind a separate focus to hold onto. That way, she was secure during the day wearing her now baggy clothes to hide her appearance from the frequent guests at the hotel and the ever watchful eyes of Cynthia.

She took a shower turning the heat for the water on to the highest point she could stand once again scrubbing her body to try to clean herself of the vile feelings that plagued her. Somehow she thought if she scrubbed hard enough the dirt that clenched to her from that night would finally exhaust itself and leave her tired frame. Her skin turned red and became wrinkled from the prolonged shower. She finally stepped out and got dressed in a near clone of the same outfit she wore the day before. A loose black pair of slacks and a long sleeve forest green mock turtleneck. She only put on a little makeup to conceal the dark circles under her eyes and slipped a warm cashmere sweater over the turtleneck.

Still she shivered violently feeling cold even under her dual layers and the warmth of the summer morning. The phone rang in her bedroom startling her with its vibrant tones.

Picking up, the cordless phone she sighed. "Hi, Dad." She said recognizing the number on her caller id.

"Lisa, honey, how are you?" He asked. Lisa did not have to ask what her father was doing up so early. Retiring from his job had not made incredibly social as he immersed himself in the different constructions projects around the house as well as the late night sitcom and comedy marathons that cable had to offer.

Lisa put her hand to her head. "I'm ok, Dad." She said softly, sitting on her double bed without care of squashing her green feather comforter that covered the surface. "Are you sure, Lisa? I'm just worried about you. Especially since that creep is on the loose. Would you consider staying at the house temporarily until they catch him?" He asked.

"Dad, I'm sure and no offense but the house brings back some bad memories of that day." She said firmly.

"Then let me stay there with you. You shouldn't be alone." He persisted.

"Dad, I do love you but I want to be alone. I need to have some space right now." She said resolutely.

"Sweetie, that's all you've been doing for last four years, is being alone. That may seem to be what you want but I don't think that's what you need." He said.

Lisa walked downstairs with the cordless phone in her hand and headed towards the kitchen to make herself a soothing cup of peppermint tea. "Why don't you come for dinner tomorrow Dad and we'll discuss it then." She relented.

Her father assented seeming somewhat satisfied and she hung up the phone and walked into the living room to grab her coat out of the closet. As her hand clenched the fleece lined jacket, she heard something fall from its delicate perch astride the flimsy shelf. Putting on her coat, she bent over curious momentarily to see what the fallen object was as she knew to never keep things on that particular shelf. The screws were coming out and the landlord seemed to put off fixing it. Her hand grasped a thick book and Lisa was puzzled. "_I keep all books in my bedroom."_ She told herself as she raised the book up to see what the title was.

Gasping, she dropped the book as if the very pages were lit up with a sudden fire that was starting to consume her hand. "It can't be." She said out loud as she looked at the cover of the book from its position on the floor. The title was "Self Matters" by Dr. Phil McGraw and Lisa upon seeing the book her mind swam back to the horrid memories of the past as Jackson's voice resounded through her.

"_I want you to get excited about your life, but you gotta get real_. _I'm challenging you, starting now to stop dealing with opinions and assumptions and start dealing in facts."_

_The headache Lisa had as she slowly emerged from unconsciousness pounded as she tried to focus on the menacing voice emerging from next to her. "Fact, fearing to act is human. Failing to act is just plain dumb. Fact: Thinking when you should be acting will only make your head hurt. I'm not making this up, Leese. It's all right here." She looked over at him feeling as if she was caught in some unspeakable nightmare as he closed the Dr. Phil book that Lisa had given to the elderly passenger earlier._

"No, not again." Lisa said, feeling fury propel her. She grasped the book and threw it with all her strength against the wall. Unlike her alarm, the book wouldn't shatter but fell harmlessly to the floor. The original book had left her sight on the Fresh Air flight and no one in her family or small circle of friends would dare give her a Dr. Phil book much less this one which was an exact duplicate of the one Jackson had stolen.

"Jackson." Lisa said the name loathingly. He already had power over her subconscious but she'd be damned if she allow him control over her life again. "You're pathetic, you coward." She said out loud and deep inside, she was uncertain whether she was addressing Jackson Rippner or herself.

**This will be a colder story then my others and there is no chance of romance here. I will finish my other one but I think after reflection that the possibility of romance is nil after dealing with such a traumatic event. I am hoping to give a more realistic perspective of what happens when Jackson tries to reenter her life and how the flight combined with the rape could actually impact her life. Speaking as one who has a traumatic event similar to hers, I think my interpreation might provide insight. No offense of course to those who are in love with the idea of a romance. I'm simply not.**


	2. Change of Pace

Routines were constant at the hotel and as ever, Lisa Reisert tried to depend on them for reasons of pure sanity. She was still shaken from finding the Dr. Phil book in her closet. Her father had attempted to reassure her.

_"Lisa I have bought you so many of those that I could have bought the same one twice. It was probably just stuck up there accidently. Besides do you really think that creep would dare show his face? Think about what you did to him. I am betting that he went out of the country."_

She shivered uncertain of her father's words. They made sense yet she felt a tragic sense of irony in them. Evil had suddenly become so apparent to her in the last four years now that her mind was dwelling in the midst of memories she couldn't shake free. A knock sounded on her door and Lisa jerked at the sudden noise.

"Come in." She answered as she tried to calm her racing heart. _"Stop being so damn nervous."_ She told herself impatiently. The door opened and Charles Keefe walked into the room. Lisa glanced quickly at her schedule. Once again he had changed his arrival time but Lisa always managed to smooth over the consistent oversights by his staff.

Clearing her throat, she stood up. "Mr. Keefe, it's a pleasure to see you again." She said trying to put enthusiasm into her voice. It was a struggle not to immediately link Charles Keefe to the ordeal that she experienced two years ago. _"After all, he didn't ask to be a target."_ She thought. "What can I do for you?" She asked politely.

It had been six months since she had seen him last and she could tell by the surprised look on his face that he had noticed the progressive change in her appearance. A look of concern crossed his face and Lisa felt overwhelmed with a feeling of disgust. She could clearly see pity in his expression and she loathed the sensation it gave her. All she wanted was to have a normal life yet that was stripped away so unwillingly.

"Well, Miss Reisert it's more of what I could for you. I would like you to come work with me on my staff. My public relations manager has just left for personal reasons and I think you are the perfect person to take his place." He said.

She arched her eyebrows in surprise and smiled at him, feeling somewhat amused. "Mr. Keefe, I appreciate the offer but I'm a hotel manager. I know very little about politics. It would be a foreign territory for me. Besides I've been at the Lux for a long time." She protested.

He shook his head. "That's why I think a change of environment would be ideal. You showed great courage by protecting my family at risk of your own. I need someone like that on my staff. I promise the salary and benefits package will make the relocation well worth it."

Lisa paused at those words. "Relocation?" She asked. "What relocation?" Her mind was in a haze.

"Well, I can only assume you don't want to commute from here to Washington D.C." He said, his voice was light.

Lisa reflected for a moment. Miami was ladened with memories of all the horrors she had endured. Everytime she forced herself to enter her father's house, she could barely repress the shiver that went through her as she could almost see Jackson lurking behind dark corners in wait for her. To leave this city would be bittersweet, also filled with pleasant recollections of her family but to be able to escape from the ordeal of her past and to start a new life elsewhere was exceedingly inviting.

She closed her eyes imagining a place where she didn't have to drive by the same parking lot where the man so brutally raped her. To get to the hotel, she was forced to pass by it everyday. The tragedies that took place in her life left a definitive mark on Miami. However, now she had the opporunity to truly start over.

"I think I may like that." She murmured, deep in thought. She usually didn't make hasty decisions but the desire to leave this place overcame her quickly. "_I need to escape."_ She told herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was two months later and Lisa Reisert had just gotten herself situated into her new condo located not far from the Homeland Security Headquarters. As much as she missed her family and friends in Miami, she felt invigorated by the move. She had left behind all remnants of her hideous past as she decorated her new townhome in bright, eclectic colors trading her dark furniture in for a more soothing pastel look. Her bedroom was no longer filled with self help books as she now prefered the simple desires of fictional literature.

She felt that she had wasted away in a society so bound to mediocrity that all her artistic pursuits had been repressed in exchange for the constant routines her work at the hotel demanded so she took a moment each day to dwell in the pleasure of going through the pages of a new story where a life so distant to hers was taking place.

Her first morning of work arrived as she got dressed in a simple skirt and matching blazer and drove her car to the Homeland Security office. Showing her new laminated ID to the guard at the station, she parked her car in the enclosed garage and proceeded to the elevator. Emerging on the fifth floor, she proceeded to walk into the outer office area where Charles Keefe's assistant smiled politely as Lisa approached. Before Lisa could open her mouth to speak, the assistant nodded at her. "You must be the infamous Lisa Reisert." She said jovially. In explanation for Lisa's confused expression, she said "I've seen you on TV and Mr. Keefe has told me so much about you. It's something that our office is unlikely to forget." She said.

Cold prickles went down Lisa's spine as her mind once again floated back to the night always present in her subconcious. She shivered visibly and the assistant noticed. "I'm so sorry. It must have been hell." She said. "Let's start over. My name is Judy Morris. Obviously, I'm Mr. Keefe's personal assistant. I'll show you to your office and introduce you to your assistant."

Lisa forced a smile. "I have an assistant?" She asked, feeling surprised. Judy laughed. "Of course. Follow me." She said, beckoning to Lisa as she walked. "He's actually new here after going through something of a career change. Do you recognize the name Henry Adams?"

Lisa shook her head. "Well, he's a senator over in Maine. His nephew, Michael Blair is going to be working with you as somewhat of an internship. He wants to get involved in politics and homeland security at present." She said.

Looking at Judy numbly, Lisa started to speak. "Judy, I don't know what exactly I'm going to be doing. Isn't there a more seasoned person to put Michael with." Judy paused. "Lisa, don't be intimidated. It really isn't all that different from what you did at the hotel. I promise."

Stopping in front of a closed office door, Judy pulled out a card and held it infront of a black, plastic box that was built into the wall outside the office. She waved it in front of the box and a tiny red light on top went from red to green. She opened the door and politely stood inside so Lisa could enter.

As Lisa gazed at her new office, a feeling of disbelief surged through her. The room was decorated in appealing colors of peach and light blue with a matching carpet that gave her the sensation of being at home rather then at a place of work. A fine oak desk was in the center with a leather chair puhed inside the desk. To one side, she saw a very comfortable looking leather couch just below huge bay windows that allowed in plenty of warmth an light.

"Is this all right, Miss Reisert?" Judy asked anxiously. "I had it decorated myself after Mr. Keefe gave me your colors. But if you don't like it, we can have it changed."

Lisa sank into the leather chair and pulled herself up to the desk admiring the flat panel monitor attached to the new computer that sat next to an elaborate gift basket which was poised at the very center of her workspace. "It's lovely Judy. Absolutely perfect." She said admirably. "You didn't have to do this." She said indicating the gift basket and the room.

"Mr. Keefe actually got you the gift basket but it wasn't a problem. You're somewhat of a celebrity here." Judy said. "Now why don't you relax and check out the file that has all your benefits and other perks in top drawer and I'll try to find your assistant. You'll have to keep an eye out for him. He's always flirting with the different women in the office." Judy said winking conspiratory at her as she left the office.

Lisa sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Wonderful." She muttered. All she needed right now is to deal with another man who couldn't keep his hands to herself. Rolling her eyes, she pulled out the drawer to find a bulky folder and she opened it to leaf through it. Surprisingly, a set of keys fell onto the table and she picked them up to stare at them blankly. Putting them aside, she found an identical card that Judy used to open the office and Lisa carefully put it into her wallet. The other papers were filled with her authorization codes, benefits and other information. She was surprised to find that she had a clothing budget. Looking down at her loose fitting skirt and blouse, she thought "_Well, maybe some new clothes would be in order."_

A knock sounded at the door and Lisa who was absently filling out forms that were contained in the file called out "Come in". Judy's voice echoed through the room once more. "Well, here he is Miss Reisert. May I introduce you to your new assistant, Michael Blair?"

Lisa stood up and the greeting she had started to form froze on her lips. Her heart beat erratically as she tried to breathe. Jackson Rippner stood there in front of her leaning against the wall casually with his arms folded. His pale blue eyes radiated malice as a slow smile gathered on that face which haunted her nightmares.

Her mind plunged her once again in the airplane bathroom struggling for air as Jackson cruelly dug his fingers into her neck ranting on her for Lisa's attempt at deceit. _"I never lied to you, Lisa"_ The words came back as afterimages. She wavered on her feet feeling the office spin around her and darkness started to cloud her vision. Distantly, she heard Judy's voice call out to her in alarm as Lisa started to fall only to feel a pair of strong arms catching her before she hit the carpet. The last thing she saw before she succombed to unconciousness was Jackson's blue eyes mockingly gazing down at hers as he once again enclosed her in his arms.


	3. Doppleganger

Lisa's mind was filled with whispers. Disconnected words shuffled together as she struggled to make sense of them. They filled her with disturbing feelings and she longed once again to be floating in the soothing realm of unconsciousness.

"Miss Reisert?" A voice called from the distance. She moaned softly not wishing to wake up. "Lisa, wake up." Sounding more commanding. Reluctantly, Lisa opened her eyes to find herself staring into Jackson's pale, blue ones. She screamed, her voice renting the air as she struggled back on the thin mattress she had been laying on. Her back came up against the wall as she huddled there in shock. Putting her hands to her face, she tried to block out the horrifying image.

"Lisa? What's wrong?" A familiar female voice said to her. Lisa tentatively lowered her hands to see Judy standing next to Jackson looking perplexed. "Judy?" Lisa said in a strangled whisper as Judy came closer to her. "Get him out of here!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with panic.

Judy, her face filled with confusion turned to look at Jackson who was leaning against the wall, a blank expression on his face. "Have you two met before?" She asked. Lisa nodded frantically. "Judy, that is Jackson Rippner. The man who tormented me on the plane!"

"That's not possible, Lisa. Remember, this is Michael Blair, the nephew of Senator Henry Adams. Our office has known them for years." She said firmly.

Lisa shook her head, closing her eyes trying to forestall the image of Jackson's blue eyes from permeating her consciousness. "Judy, please have him leave." She pleaded. Judy sighed and turned to Jackson. "Michael, could you give us a minute?" She asked. He shrugged and smiled coolly. "No problem. Feel better Miss Reisert." He said as he sauntered out of the room.

Lisa relaxed slightly. "Judy, I need you to believe me on this. Do you think that I would ever forget Jackson Rippner's face? That man is a dead ringer for him." Lisa insisted.

Judy came closer to Lisa. "Okay, just relax. It must stir up some memories working with Keefe but your assistant is not Jackson Rippner. It's just not possible." Lisa turned away from her in disgust. "Please Lisa. Listen to me. Jackson Rippner was in jail for a year after pleading guilty to his assault against you. I know he escaped but we do thorough background checks on everyone who works here. On top of that, I have seen Michael in and out of our office several times in the past year. He is not Jackson Rippner." She stated.

"Then how come he looks exactly like him and those eyes, Judy. Those horrid, pale blue eyes are exactly the same. I've never seen eyes like that on another person. It's impossible." She said desperately. Lisa felt like she was losing her mind. She knew that Homeland Security was the last place she had expected to see Jackson but if his mind was twisted in order to get his revenge then nothing would stand in his path.

She was unable to ascertain why the entirety of the office would be in on some conspiracy to protect Jackson's identity after he had attempted to manage an assassination against them two years ago. "_It's just crazy!"_ Lisa thought feeling as if she was slipping into an alternate universe where her very nightmares walked the hallways.

Looking around the sterile, white room she had found herself in, she turned herself back to Judy realizing she couldn't persuade her. "Fine, whatever you say. But I quit." Lisa stated. "I'm going back to Miami."

"Why would you do that, Miss Reisert?" A voice from the doorway asked and Lisa turned to see Charles Keefe walk into the room. He frowned at Judy. "Please excuse us." He said to her. Judy smiled politely and left.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asked Lisa. She bit her lip hesitantly and proceeded to explain what happened and the apparent resemblance of Michael Blair to Jackson Rippner. "I'm sorry, Mr. Keefe but I would never forget a face like that." Lisa said trying to steady her voice.

He sighed. "It's fine, I just have to think of how to handle this. I've known Michael for a long time Miss Reisert however I've never met Jackson Rippner but I trust you. I know you don't jump to conclusions." He paused. "I want you to go home for a few days and rest. I'll assign Michael to another department on a separate floor for the interim. Meanwhile, I'll have the police send me all their files on Jackson Rippner including the mug shots and we'll go from there." He said.

Lisa felt relief soar through her. "Thank you Mr. Keefe." she said. He nodded in reply. "We have Michael's finger prints and DNA on file so we will be able to verify if he's a match beyond question. Even if he's not, I will hire you a new assistant and will assign Michael to work at a different branch of Homeland Security." He said reassuringly.

Lisa looked up at him hesitantly. "How could he not be? He looks exactly like him." She said, her voice quavering. Keefe approached her bedside. "It's often said that we all have a doppelganger somewhere in the world." Lisa glanced at him feeling perplexed. He continued. "I mean, a unrelated yet identical twin. It is strange but it does happen."

"I suppose." She said unconvincingly. _"It has to be him."_ She thought. Keefe was staring at his watch. "I'm sorry. I have a meeting I really must attend to. Go home and get some rest. I will call you and notify you when I have results." He said. Lisa nodded in assent and he left the room.

She groaned looking at her wrinkled clothes, her eyes gazing around the small room. "_I must be in their infirmary."_ She told herself as she grabbed her purse that laid on the table beside the bed. She felt nauseated by the entirety of the experience as she carefully proceeded out the door and headed to the elevator.

As she got in her car and drove away, she paid no attention to the shadow that lurked in the back of the garage which was taking infinite pleasure in watching her every movement.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa dozed on the couch upon returning home after taking a long shower to scrub away the malevolent feelings that had gathered in her heart. She was exhausted and sickened by the turmoil of the day as she lay on the soft, leather couch floating in a comfortable warm embrace of sleep. The jarring ring of the phone startled her as she awoke.

Grabbing the cordless phone, she managed to shake off sleep as she answered the call. Charles Keefe's voice was on the other line and Lisa sat on the couch in wordless shock as he told her that the DNA and fingerprints were not a match to Michael Blair. Instinct told her to instantly go back to Miami after she got off the phone. She shook her head. All those times she had told herself that Jackson Rippner would not rule her life and just because she met someone who bore a strong resemblance, she was going to once again run away rather then face her fear.

"Never again." She said to herself. Her grandmother's words resounded in her head. "_Always look forward."_ She gripped her fists in determination. She allowed the rapist to haunt her existence and now Jackson was trying to gain that same power.

She would go back into the office the next day. Michael Blair would not be there as an ever present reminder of her past and she would adapt to life here. Jackson could not continue to plague her existence. She would not allow it.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Her sleep at night was plagued with nightmares as she once again ran from Jackson desperate to escape his impending cruelty. The scream that was lodged in her throat woke her and she bolted upright in bed. With her hand, she wiped the drops perspiration that clung to her skin as she stumbled out of bed. Grabbing her robe, she put it on over her flannel pajamas she often wore at night and proceeded to the kitchen.

"_No more sleep tonight."_ She thought as she pulled the coffee from her cupboard to soothe her still shivering body. A small noise echoed behind her and she turned around only to see the darkness of the living room. Taking a deep breath, she told herself, "_Come on Lisa, settle down. It's not like you haven't heard a building creak before."_

Berating herself firmly, she turned back to the coffee. Suddenly a voice sounded from behind her. "What, no scrambled eggs?" Lisa whirled around horrified to see Jackson standing in the entrance of her kitchen. _"This can't be real."_ She told herself but blinking her eyes didn't dispel the image of Jackson in front of her, leaning against the counter wearing the same suit that she saw from this afternoon.

"You're not Jackson." She managed to say. "You're Michael. You are just playing some sick, twisted joke on me." She spat out. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the steaming coffee pot in order to throw it at him. He seemed to anticipate her movement and grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her causing the pot to shatter on floor while some of the hot liquid soaked through her pajamas. The pain of the searing liquid rang distantly in her mind as she struggled to regain control.

"Oh, Lisa." He said as his hand grabbed a clump of her hair twisting her neck back. "I've often looked forward to this day yet here I am and you just don't look pleased to see me."

Rage gripped Lisa and coursed through her veins giving her strength. Swing her free arm, she connected it to his face and he stumbled slightly from the blow weakening his grip on her hair and wrist. Immediately, she drove her knee into his abdomen as he momentarily bent over in pain.

Jerking away from him, she immediately ran to the door and struggled to unlock the deadbolt she had put into place. _"How did he get in here without breaking the deadbolt?" _She wondered. Closing her hand on the knob, she tried to yank the door open but it wouldn't budge. "What the hell?" She muttered. "I wanted to assure us some privacy Leese for a little while." Jackson's voice said mockingly from behind her. _"The window."_ Lisa thought as she immediately dashed towards her bedroom and she struggled to open up the heavy window frame. Arms seized her from behind pinning her wrists to her side. "No!" She screamed. "Get off me."

Jackson paid no heed to her words but dragged her to the bed, pushing her on the soft mattress. Lisa crawled to the other side to escape into the bathroom but he seized her waist pulling her back effectively limiting her struggles by pressing his body on top of hers. Lisa couldn't breathe from the dread that went through her as she frantically tried to push him off her. He seized her wrists in one hand and wrenched them over her head. His other hand clamped her chin as she was forced to look into those cold blue eyes once more.

"You see, Leese. I never lie. I told you we'd finish this later. That's the price you pay, isn't it Lisa when you choose to fight against me." He said, smiling tempestuously at her.

"So, what now Jack?" She managed to say. "Are you going to kill me?" She asked her voice shaking,

"Leese, I'm a manager, not a clumsy assassin. Killing you lacks creativity and I so long to be amused. You can never run from me, Lisa. Your life belongs to me." He said as he released her chin to gently trace the contours of her face with his finger. His hand went to just beneath her shoulders as he deftly traced the livid scar.

"Like hell." She said. Taking a deep exhale, she tried to scream. His hand clamped over her mouth. "You know, Leese. That'll cost you." He said indifferently as his hand suddenly tightened around her throat. Lisa struggled to breathe as the hand tightened around her neck. _"He's going to kill me."_ The thoughts raced through her mind briefly as darkness pervaded her vision. The last thing she saw was Jackson's face looming close to hers as she collapsed into an all consuming blackness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa jerked awake as she found herself in bed once again as if she had never left. Her hands flew to her throat remembering Jackson's unyielding grasp. "What happened?" She muttered. Getting up, she found herself in her pajamas once more and the robe was in the original place in her closet where she had set it. Shaking her head, she walked out into the kitchen. The coffee maker was off and the remnants of the broken coffee pot was gone.

Peering at the door, she dead bolt was in place. She disengaged it and slowly opened the door to find the brightly illuminated outer hallway. Lisa closed the door and turned on the lights to the living room. Her apartment was empty without a trace of Jackson ever being there. "_I'm losing my mind."_ She thought as she crept back into her bedroom. Crawling back on her bed, she winced suddenly feeling her leg sting slightly as her pajamas chafed against it.

She rolled up the leg of her pajamas to find a few small fresh heat blisters. Her mind flashed back to the coffee that had spilled against her leg when Jackson had seized her wrist. She jumped up and immediately closed and locked her bedroom door. Staring at the wound on her leg, she wondered if either she was going crazy or if Jackson Rippner had indeed returned to torture her once more.


	4. Whispers

Lisa walked quickly up to the office door designated as Michael Blair's and put her hand on the door knob. She was grateful that Keefe had assigned him to a different floor so she didn't have to explain her actions to Judy. The assistant at the front desk merely beckoned her backwards upon seeing Lisa's ID and pointed in the direction of the office. Rage drove Lisa as she opened the door to see Jackson's elegant form working studiously on the computer.

"What the hell do you think your playing at?" She asked derisively. "How dare you come into my home!"

He looked at her as she saw the same blank stare that he gave her in the hospital. "_He's faking."_ She told herself. "Miss Reisert?" He asked. "Is there something I can do for you? I was told you weren't coming back for a few days."

She peered at him in disbelief. "Drop it Jackson. It's just us here. We both know who you are and it sure as hell isn't Michael Blair." He cleared his throat and got up to walk to the other side of the desk where Lisa stood. "I mean you no disrespect Miss Reisert but perhaps I should call Charles Keefe's assistant. I don't believe you are well." He said coldly.

Lisa at that moment lashed out to punch him at these callous words. He swiftly caught her wrist inches away from his face. Pulling her towards the door, he whispered, "Have a nice day." Shoving her out of the office, he closed the door leaving Lisa to her own internal debate. She left the building quickly not wanting to deal with the questions that were sure to come. No one would believe her as Lisa could hardly believe herself.

Coming through her door, she immediately picked up her phone. Dialing quickly, she felt relief flood through her when her father answered the call. "Leese, are you all right?" He asked hearing the panic in her tone. "Dad, I need help. I think I'm going crazy." She said as she walked into her bedroom.

"Well, that's all a matter of opinion, isn't it Leese?" A voice came from the bed. To her astonishment, she saw Jackson lying so casually on top of the mattress. Lisa started to scream as the phone slipped from her trembling fingers as fear paralyzed her movements. Jackson immediately propelled himself off the mattress and pinned her to the wall, clamping his hand over her mouth. Distantly, Lisa heard her father's voice on the phone calling to her. "Lisa, what is it? What's happening?" Jackson swiftly picked up the phone disconnecting it and tossed it aside.

"Now, Lisa. We wouldn't want anyone to interrupt the party, would we?" He asked contemptuously. She moaned underneath his hand at those words. "Now, I'm going to remove my hand and you are not going to scream, right?" He asked. Lisa managed a slight nod. He lifted his hand away keeping a firm grip on her arm.

"What are you doing here? What do you want? Why these inane games at the office?" She sputtered. He jerked her out of the room pulling her towards the kitchen. Lisa stumbled after him. "Still more questions, Leese. I thought you knew better." He stated. "Yeah, what do I call you? Jackson or Michael?" She asked snidely.

She tried to pull free of the iron grip he had on her arm. "_This can't happen again."_ She said to herself. As he dragged her into the living room, the ringing of the phone jarred her senses. He paused, distracted at the sound and Lisa jumped at the small window of opportunity. With a well place kick, she jammed her foot into his shin. He recoiled in pain and she managed to break free, running to her bedroom and locking the door behind her. Grabbing the phone, she answered it. Judy was on the other line and Lisa instantly started crying. "Judy, please help me. He's here, right now!" Judy's voice came back across the line. "Who's there, Lisa?"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Lisa said, "It's Jackson. He followed me from the office. Michael, if that his real name is lying. He's coming after me!" She exclaimed.

She could hear Judy sigh on the other end. "Lisa, I'm in my office with Michael right now and have been since you left his desk. I was concerned about you when he told me what happened so I called. He's not there, Lisa. You need to calm down."

Lisa's body was shaking. "This didn't start happening until I came to Washington. I'm going back home to Miami. Please extend to Mr. Keefe my gratitude for what he's done but I simply cannot endure this." She said hanging up the phone before Judy could protest.

She paused to look at the phone debating whether or not to call the police. She knew no one in Washington and knew if the police questioned the office staff, they would sooner have her committed. Looking at her locked bedroom door wearily, she debated opening it. If Jackson was still there, he would have surely broken the lock by now.

Her heart was racing. All she knew was that she was being tortured in her home by a man who haunted her nightmares and now her waking moments. Her cries for help were faced with ridicule as she was faced with disbelief and denial of her experiences. _"What am I going to do when everyone around me thinks I'm insane?"_ She thought.

Shaking, she collapsed on the floor as tears welled up in her eyes. In her life, all she ever wanted was to be trusted and her words given merit. Now the careful illusion of sanity that she had tried to place around herself was breaking down. "_Jackson wants me to lose control so he can be in charge again."_ She remembered his desperation on the flight for her to make that phone call. The repercussions of his failure may have been severe but Lisa was uncertain if this vendetta was entirely driven by a need for revenge.

Immediately, she grabbed a suitcase from her bedroom closet dumping some clothes into it. Lisa would send for the rest later. She needed to get out of here quickly before any further insanity happened.

The cordless phone rang again and she grabbed it. "Lisa, what happened? Are you all right?" Her father asked sounding frantic. Lisa closed her eyes and sat down heavily on the bed. "I'm okay, Dad but I need to come home right now. Could you pick me up at the airport?" She asked.

Her father sounded baffled, "Of course but Leese, what's going on? I heard you scream."

She put her hand over her eyes, "I'm not even sure anymore if I can trust my own senses, Dad. But something is really wrong here. I'll explain it to you when I arrive." She said wearily.

"That's fine, Lisa. Just call me when the plane lands." He commented.

Lisa hung up the phone and grabbed her purse. Seizing the suitcase handle, she looked at her bedroom door apprehensively. _"He's not there."_ She told herself. Lisa never expected a breakdown like this to happen to her. Even after the rape when she took comfort in monotonous routines, she was exceptionally realistic. Her life seemed to depend on her sense of realism but now she wasn't sure if the delicate border between truth and fantasy had been crossed.

To not go through her door and let her dread overwhelm her sense of logic would be a defeat to her. She had lately been on the losing side of many battles internally. Her stomach burned from the countless cups of coffee she had been drinking without food to support that intake. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and opened it. Jackson was not there waiting in the hallway to pounce on her. She proceeded to the kitchen finding it empty as well as the living room.

Groaning at herself, she debated the fact that he might have been a hallucination of her over stressed mind. Putting her bags aside for the moment, she reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled out an antacid tablet to calm her overworked stomach.

Crunching them with her teeth, she turned around to grab her suitcase only to see Jackson sitting on it looking up at her inquisitively, a perplexed look in his pale, cerulean eyes. "Just my opinion, but it may help if you tone down the coffee drinking. God knows you could stand to eat something."

Lisa turned back to the sink putting her head into her hands. Closing her eyes, she muttered to herself, "He's not there. He's not there." She said over and over again. Her breath came out in short gasps as she tried to reassure herself. However, any explanations were inexplicable as he put his arms around her. "No!" Lisa cried. "Get away from me. You aren't really here."

She struggled weakly against him feeling all the exhaustion from the previous, sleepless nights having an impact on her. "I'm not leaving until we've had a talk." He said to her as he dragged her to the couch. "Sit down" He commanded finally releasing her. She glared at him, her eyes darting occasionally to the front door. "You know, you'll never reach it in time, Leese." Jackson said conversationally. "Besides, what would be the point? No one will believe you."

"I won't have to worry about that anymore. I'm going home." Lisa stated as she reluctantly collapsed into the soft couch.

"What do you think that will accomplish, Lisa? I'm afraid matters will only get more complicated. You know I will follow you and eliminate any obstacles between you and me." He said, smiling darkly.

Lisa gasped. "You wouldn't dare come near my family again."

Jackson shrugged. "Don't give me a reason too."

"What do you want from me this time?" She asked feeling nausea creep through her.

"Well, Leese seeing that you killed my last dog, I need a new pet." He said simply. Lisa regarded him with pure animosity. "You're disgusting. You forced me on that plane to sell my soul just because you were already soulless yourself. You sold it a long time ago and once you do that, you become one of the ugliest things that has ever lived. I regained my soul. Can you ever say the same?" She asked, her words dripping with contempt.

Jackson viciously slapped her across the face and pinned her arms against the couch as he put his face close to hers. "My property doesn't speak to me that way." He snarled as his fingers dug into her arms. She drew in a breath to let out another scream but he drove his knee into her abdomen knocking the wind out of her. "Remember what I said Leese about going to Miami. You have no idea what I'm capable of." He whispered, releasing her suddenly.

Gasping for air, she fell to her side on the couch. Struggling to catch her breath, she noticed that Jackson had disappeared from her line of sight. Finally when she was able to sit up, she glanced around the living room and kitchen to find them empty. Getting off the couch, she walked around her apartment to find her suitcase that she had packed before was now back in it's original place in her bedroom closet empty of the clothes she had put in it.

Everything in her apartment was untouched and to Lisa's uneasy mind, she wondered again if his visit had really taken place. Her mind was flustered as she carefully searched the space for any signs of Jackson's presence. On the living room table, an object caught her eye as she knelt down to examine it. An unlabeled CD lay on the table, it's reflective surface catching the overhead light illuminating the room. Lisa picked it up certain she hadn't seen it before and put it into her CD player. A melody broke out as Lisa recognized the song instantly. It was one of her father's favorites that the family had listened to on countless occasions. She shuddered at the title phrase, "I'll be Seeing You".

"No," Lisa decided. "You won't." She grabbed her purse and headed out the door without even bothering to turn off the songs disquieting tune.

**Obviously, I listened to the audio commentary to give my story some more depth. It actually helped to give me several new ideas. Anyway, I know this story line sounds puzzling. I hope you'll bear with me.**


	5. Escaping Reality

Lisa ran to her parked Acura with the keys in her sweaty palms. Her hands shook as she fumbled for the button to release the locks on the car and relief flowed through her as she started the car and drove out of the parking lot.

"_Where am I going to go_?" She thought briefly as her mind swam with the appealing images of home. She longed to see her father again and to be comforted that Jackson's visits weren't sordid visions expelled from her exhausted mind. "_But what if they are?"_ She asked herself.

"No." She said out loud hoping to derive some of the confidence from the word. She remembered the pain of Jackson's hand hitting her cheek and the way he pressed her to the bed with his hands over her throat. "That just can't be a delusion." She feeling like she was unraveling with all the possibilities to explain the insanity that was happening to her.

Lisa didn't know how far Jackson Rippner would go to obtain revenge. She remembered the feeling of disgust she had when she finally conceded to his wishes and the way he tactfully examined her face in the airplane bathroom to see if she had any obvious injury. "_Like I'm a mere possession rather then a person." _She thought.

Deciding to bypass the major airport in Washington DC, she headed towards Baltimore International Airport, taking the back roads to throw anyone off that might follow her from the major routes of the freeways. Looking at the scenery idly for a moment, she gazed at the beautiful colors of the leaves. In other circumstances, she would have enjoyed her time spent here rather then the excessive humidity of Florida.

Her attention was deflected that critical moment when a looming black jeep rammed into the side of her car, pushing it off the quiet two lane highway. "_Damn it." _She thought as she looked over to see the driver. Initially, she thought she was a victim of a careless, drunk driver until she saw the man's face at the steering well.

"_He followed me!" _Lisa panicked and hit the gas harder, gripping the steering wheel to keep the car upright. Gunning the engine, she tried to get ahead of the jeep's furious pace. After a few minutes, Lisa knew this wasn't going to work. She was on a gravel road and couldn't get around the size of the jeep by trying to outrace it.

Only one other option was left. Lisa hit the brakes hard hoping that the jeeps speed would cause it to go farther down the road before Jackson would be able to stop the vehicle. Without looking, Lisa initiated a sharp U-Turn pumping the gas pedal to gain further speed as she hurtled in the opposite direction back to where she came from.

She could hear the jeep gaining on her Acura. She looked towards the grassy fields on both sides of the road. In a race, the jeep would out perform the Acura offroads and she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun Jackson on foot sans the injury to his windpipe. _"Hell, I could hardly outrun him after stabbing him in the throat and I had a head start."_ She thought.

Reaching for her bag, she grabbed her cell phone and keyed in the numbers for 911. The electronic voice on the other end told her to wait on hold as Lisa kept driving vividly aware of the closing gap between the two cars.

A voice finally came on the line, "911 operator. Please state the nature of your emergency." Lisa, her heart beating erratically desperately tried to get the words out. "A car is trying to run me off the road. Please I need help!" She cried out. The operators voice sounded indifferent to the situation. "Okay, calm down. Now, where are you exactly?" She asked.

Before Lisa could answer, the jeep crashed hitting the side of her car causing it to spin out of control before ramming into a tree. Lisa was dizzy with shock as she fell against the air bag the steering wheel deployed.

Her surroundings had a distinct haze as she tried to focus her mind on what exactly happened. "Jackson" She whispered. Her eyes blurred as she looked in her rear view mirror to see a man approaching her damaged vehicle. "Oh, God, I have to get out of here." Lisa told herself panic-stricken. Grasping the door handle, she managed to wrench the door open however trying to stand had its own set of problems.

Using the car for support, she attempted to stumble away from what she knew was inevitable. An arm encircled her waist pulling her backwards from the illusion of safety that the Acura provided. Struggling feebly, her feet stumbling over loose rocks and gravel, Jackson's voice whispered, "You know, I'm doing you a favor, Leese. Were you just going to run home? Is that it?" He asked menacingly.

The words he was saying slipped through her brain as she tried to hold on to them. But the shock that was perpetrated to her mind had caused her to linger once more in a dream like state. Her body refused to function as Jackson supported the whole of her weight. "I can't. Can't let you win." She mumbled.

Lisa was slipping away quickly as her thoughts seemed to separate into a distant pool as she fell into the unyielding blackness.

**I'm sorry for the shortened chapter but I this seemed like a good place to end it and I wasn't sure what else I could say about the effects of a concussion! **


	6. Deciphering Illusions

The smell of alcohol and antiseptic assaulted her nostrils as Lisa came out of the pervasive sleep. She opened up her eyes to find herself in a darkened hospital room evidenced by the IV and the noise of the beeping monitor. "What happened to me?" Lisa whispered. She tried to clear her mind so she could focus on the events of the day but only fragments and mere images popped into her mind.

Dusk had fallen outside her room as she gazed at the vague outlines of building and trees trying to sense if there was any familiarity with them. Suddenly sensing a presence in her room, she turned to see a figure sleeping in the chair beside her bed.

"Dad." She said as relief poured through her. Surely he would help her sort through her confusion. His eyes popped open at the sound of her voice. "Lisa, honey, thank God you are okay." He said.

"Dad, what happened?" She asked nervously. Brief recollections stirred within her. Something about a car accident.

He frowned. "You don't remember?" He asked. She shook her head. "Only some things. I can't place the rest. The last few days are pretty muddled for me." She replied, her voice grating with frustration.

"You had an accident. You were in your car and the doctor thinks you must have passed out and hit a tree." He answered.

"No. That doesn't sound right. I think another car hit me." Lisa murmured trying to put the images into place. "Jackson." She said as the name suddenly dawned on her. "He was after me."

He father took her hand reassuringly. "We can talk about this later. Why don't you rest?" He asked soothingly.

She regarded him suspiciously. "Dad I know you better then that. You're avoiding something. What is it?" She demanded.

He got up from his chair and paced to the window. "I better let you sleep. I'll see you in the morning." Her father said as he walked out the door.

Lisa sighed in frustration. Her father was avoiding the issue regarding her crash. As unclear as her memories were, she knew Jackson had something to do with it. Or did he? In the past few days, Lisa felt like her world had spiraled out of control as the safety she built up around her was torn from her hands.

Was this really in her head? The possibility was insidiously unpleasant to her as she tossed the idea back and forth in her mind. She had spent the last several days convincing others of the reality of her terrors and now how could she persuade herself?

Rubbing her hands together in order to create warmth in the sterility of the hospital room, she realized how futile the effort was. For the past six months, she had been focused on food as a means of control in order to escape from the realm of nightmares that plagued her existence. When she stared at herself in the mirror, she saw two dual images. One was her overly thin countenance as her once fitted clothes now hung off her frail structure. The other vision she saw was single focused on all the areas where she perceived imperfection. In annoyance, she clung to the delusion with all her strength never believing her friends and family when they made comments on her extreme weight loss always asserting that she was almost to a weight that she deemed perfect.

"_Typical. Now they think the Jackson Rippner I see now is a hallucination."_ She thought. Her hands clutched the blankets as she gazed around the room searching for the demons that seemed to besiege when she least expected it. Now she was alone and helpless in a small hospital room in a town that wasn't even known to her.

"_I need to get out of here." _She told herself as she reached for the call button. Intending to sign herself out AMA (against medical advice), she pressed it and to her relief a nurse answered the call. "Well, awake at last." She said brightly. "I'll page your doctor and let him know."

"Wait, Kristi." Lisa said as she noticed the name on the nurses badge. She was turning to go out the door but paused at the sound of Lisa's voice and pivoted to face her. "I want to sign myself out now so please let the doctor know when you call him." She told her firmly.

The nurse frowned at Lisa's statement as she gave her a speculative gaze. "I don't think that's a good idea. You have a concussion and obviously there has been a ongoing, preexisting problem."

Lisa knew she was referring to her weight loss as she looked at her body through the thin hospital nightgown. Instead of the comfort of baggy clothes which hid the rapid progression of weight loss, she felt exposed in what she considered a small scrap of material. She understood the nurses reaction partly but now was not the time to debate it.

"That's a non-issue. I want my clothes and please bring me the necessary forms to sign myself out now." Lisa responded assertively as she met the Kristi's withering look with determination. After everything she had been through, standing up to a nurse was hardly a challenge.

"I'll get the doctor." She said, leaving quickly before Lisa had a chance to speak. Resigned, Lisa was forced to wait. She yearned to get up and walk around the room. The concussion had left her slightly lightheaded but otherwise, her injuries were not significant however the IV and heart monitor restricted her movements. She knew if she jerked any of them loose, an alarm would sound to alert the nurses station and she would rather not have to explain her actions to yet another impatient health care specialist.

"_Where's Dad?" _She wondered. He had left so quickly to seemingly avoid the inevitable line of questions that Lisa had about the accident. It was strange that everything around her grew distant and surreal since the infamous flight. She could hear Jackson's voice in her mind as he seemed to charmingly guess what her favorite drink was. Lisa was startled in that delicate moment but decided to not allow her surprise to show. She had ordered a similar drink much to her distaste only to be confronted by him later on breaking his foundation of trust.

"_Why would he think he could ever trust me?"_ She asked herself. The idea seemed ladened with absurdity but she soon learned that Jackson had become obsessed with her stalking her for months, while watching her most intimate habits. Shivering she drew up the thin blanket while desperately longing for the comforts of home. Even a hotel bed was better then this cheap rendition of a mattress.

It didn't matter. Soon she would be away from here and she would go back home safe in the protection of her family and friends. Somehow, Lisa would break the distorted reality and cycle of destruction that had permeated her life. She would regain control.

Feeling slightly cheered by this course of action, she heard footsteps outside her room as Kristi returned. "Well, Miss Reisert, this is Dr. Shipman. You can go over matters with him." She said, pleasantly.

Lisa was frozen during the nurses introduction looking past her at the doctor who had entered the room. He stared at her introspectively for a moment as a smile started to form on his lips, his pale blue eyes centered on her as she gasped in horror.

"No, this can't happen again." She yelped as he approached her bed. Lisa's dread had returned to her in force as she once again found herself in the presence of Jackson Rippner. He seemed to watch her face knowingly as she felt panic rise up inside her. He crossed his arms leaning against her bed with an expression of arrogance on his face.

"You know I can't allow you to leave us so soon, Miss Reisert. I would never forgive myself." He said as his grin seemed to darken.

**I'm sorry, I've been crazy busy at work all week and am unable to write at my usual pace. Yesterday, I had to go straight from work to bible study and didn't come back until late at night. I hope you'll forgive my delays but for the next week, I might not be able to submit every day as I would like but I'll do the best I can. I also had to debate with this chapter on possible goals for my story since I a few ways I could do this. **


	7. Conspirators

Adrenalin instantly surged through Lisa's veins as she immediately reacted to Jackson's words. "_What game is he playing now?" _She pondered as she observed Jackson encased in the identity of a hospital attending physician.

She didn't have time to speculate on this for long. She pulled herself out of bed, yanking her body free of the entanglement of the heart monitor and she could feel the rapid sting as the IV needle tore out of her arm leaving her wrist to bleed in earnest. She clasped the wound with her hand as she backed away from the coming onslaught as the nurse and Jackson approached her.

"Get away from me!" She shrieked grabbing the chair that her father had been sitting in moments ago. She wielded it like a weapon. "Now, calm down Lisa." Jackson said soothingly, offering her the same mocking grin. "We are all here to help you."

"Like hell." She said. Her back hit the wall and she knew that her only hope was somehow getting around Jackson and Kristi, the young nurse at his side. They were blocking the only exit with their stealthy approach.

Using all her strength, she threw the chair directly at them and instantly ran to the side of the room to get through the open door. She felt slightly exultant. The chair had caused them to stumble for a moment losing precious seconds in their pursuit. Lisa ran out of the room and sprinted to the stairwell.

Hands suddenly grabbed her arm, ceasing her escape. She struggled against them only to see the familiar face of her father as he clutched onto her upper arms. "Dad, please let me go. That's Jackson back there. You must recognize him. Dad, please!" She pleaded urgently.

Her father shook his head. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I've tried to help you throughout the past two years but you simply faded away from me. The doctor isn't Jackson Rippner, sweetheart. He couldn't be." He stated firmly.

Lisa gazed in horror at her father as she saw Jackson in his crisp, white doctor's lab coat casually approach them. Jerking herself out of her father's grip, she glared at the two whom were conspirators against her. "Dad, can't you see that it's him." She tried desperately. Her father looked at her dejectedly. "Honey, I didn't really take more then a glance at Jackson when I shot him but this man isn't him." He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and thrust it at her.

Fearfully, Lisa took the page and unfolded it. It's contents disclosed a mug shot of a complete stranger and the name Jackson Rippner was typed at the bottom. "_No, that can't be."_ She thought as her hand started to tremble. The man's face on the page shared some resemblances with Jackson but otherwise, it was a mere shadow of the monster whom she dealt with on the plane. The page fluttered out of her trembling fingers.

"This is a trick. I could never forget Jackson Rippner's face. You know that, Dad." She protested. Her father said nothing but merely exchanged glances with Jackson whose eyes penetrated hers with a look of shallow amusement. "It doesn't matter." She said forcefully. "You can't keep me here. I am well over the legal age of an adult so I can sign myself out anytime I want."

Jackson walked towards her and Lisa retreated in disgust at having to endure his presence. "Stay away from me." She warned. Turning to her father, she entreated again. "Dad, please help me!" Her father's eyes seemed pained by her resistance. "I can't watch this." He mumbled as he swiftly walked past Jackson toward the elevator.

Stunned, Lisa looked back at Jackson who continued to move towards her. "I meant what I said. You can't keep me here against my will." She spat at him.

His bottomless, blue eyes glinted with menace. "That's where I can assure you that you are wrong, Lisa. As an attending here at this hospital and a psychiatrist, I am fully capable of putting you on a psychiatric hold for at least the next 48 hours until you and I meet with the judge." Scrutinizing her quickly, he commented idly, "I can be very convincing. It's for the best, Lisa. Wouldn't you agree?" Jackson asked her in a derisive tone.

Lisa felt trapped in a consummate nightmare where the hallways in front of her seemed elongated as she tried to rapidly back away from Jackson's aggressive advance. His hand reached into his pocket as he pulled out a syringe, never breaking his stride.

She quickly turned on her heel and made a dash towards the stairwell. She never made it to the first step as she was quickly tackled and driven to the ground. His knees dug into her back as she struggled against him only to have his hand grab the back of her neck. She could of sworn she heard him whisper, "Relax, Leese. It will only hurt for a moment." before she felt the sting of the needle in the vein in her neck.

Fatigue immediately came as an overwhelming force and she tried to fight the rising darkness. She felt him roll her onto her back as he gathering her into his arms. Lisa tried to move to pull herself free of his agonizing grip but she could no longer contend with the paralytic exhaustion as she finally went limp allowing the blackness to descend on her once more.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Her eyes blinked open to find only darkness. Lisa panicked at first as her eyes blinked rapidly to clear the fog that had penetrated her brain. Frantically searching, her eyes spotted a tiny source of light coming from a small window in her room.

As she adjusted to the nearly pitch black room, she spotted a shadow that moved across the window. In alarm, she attempted to sit up in bed only to find her arms and legs in thick restraints. She struggled against the fabric as the shadow moved closer.

Feeling a hand press down on her arm, she attempted to scream. Another hand muffled her scream as she heard a whisper. "_Jackson!" _She thought. "Shh, Lisa. We don't have much time." He said as Lisa felt tears started to well up as she contemplated what Jackson intended doing to her as helpless as she was against her bindings.

Desperately, her hand reached for the call button located just at the side of her palm. _"Dealing with a nurse is better then letting Jackson getting away with God knows what in here." _She thought. She pressed the button which let off a small beeping sound that he seemed to recognize. Frustration filled his tone as he suddenly released her. "I was trying to help you Lisa. I guess you always do things the hard way." He said as he backed up into the otherwise innocuous shadows.

The door opened as a different nurse entered the room, flicking on the light switch. To Lisa's chagrin, the room was empty leaving no trace of Jackson's presence. She shivered as she looked at the nurse who seemed to wear the same look of disdain as her father did. Lisa knew all too well that her expression was filled with the same disbelief that one has when dealing with the insane.

**Again my apologies for not writing as much. Hopefully once the end of the month passes, it will slow down. I've been exhausted and generally not feeling well. Thank you for all your reviews. This story is interesting to write so perhaps it's good that I'm taking time with it to make sure that everything is consistent.**


	8. Identity

Darkness had formed a pervasive lining pressing upon the small window. Lisa stared out at the night sky despairingly as she contemplated the true source of the evil that was going on around her. She slowly moved her stiff joints feeling a small sense of gratification that the nurse had begrudgingly freed her of the straps. However, she wondered how long that would last once Jackson/Dr. Shipman had returned.

Her father hadn't returned to her room since the ordeal only hours ago. Lisa felt all her rationale slipping away as she debated possible solutions in her mind. In all her nightmares, she never realized a fear as overwhelming as the of her own self. She clenched her fists trying to come up with a possible explanation for this insanity. For what reason would Jackson play these mind games with her? She shook her head and gritted her teeth in frustration.

Lisa got up from the bed and headed towards the window. Looking outside, all she saw was a parking lot amidst shapeless, incongruous homes. _"No way out. At least, not for me."_ She thought bitterly. The window was small and even if she could manage to exit it, a sheer three story drop on cement would be the only object to break her fall. If nothing else, she would break her leg doing so and end up right back where she started.

"_No! The only way out is to play along."_ She told herself. At least for a time until he dropped his guard. She shivered in the thin hospital nightgown she was wearing. It was cold inside the room and her requests for clothes had gone unanswered.

"That wouldn't be an exit I would choose." Jackson's voice sounded behind her. Lisa whirled around to see him casually observing her. He slowly closed the door to the room isolating them both as they momentarily glowered at each other.

"Why does it matter either way?" Lisa cast at him sharply as she moved to the opposite end of the bed making certain that it stood as an obstacle in his path. His pale, blue eyes focused on hers as he leisurely sat down in a chair. "It pains me to hear you say that, Lisa. I'm only trying to help you."

"Help me?" Lisa spat out. "By what? Locking me in here against my will? You won't get away with this."

Jackson stretched out his legs. "I think that's all a matter of opinion, Leese. I have gotten away with it. I mean, look at yourself? You may have convinced yourself that you won two years ago but to me, it seems you were sorely defeated."

She struggled to keep a hold of her temper. "You still have no idea what I've been through. To be put through all that hell on the plane nearly killed me, Jack. I survived the only way I know how."

A silence hung in the air as Jackson got up from where he was seated to cross the distance towards her. Lisa in disgust turned to face the wall but he gripped her arm turning her towards him. "This is what you call survival?" He challenged. "You starve yourself. It's a routine now, isn't it Lisa? Life just got to complicated so you called it quits and decided to cling on too old habits."

Lisa attempted to yank her arm from his grip but her resistance only caused him to strengthen his grip. "It's my life so I can do what I want with it. I don't need your help. Besides, it's just a diet. I can stop anytime I want to." She protested as she struggled against him.

"Really think so?" He asked pressing the call button. As if on cue, a nurse carried in a meal tray and set it on the table beside her bed. "Let's make a deal, Leese. You eat the entire meal and I'll let you walk out of here." Jackson said, smiling darkly.

Lisa looked at him suspiciously. "There must be a catch." She muttered. He shook his head. "No catch but you must finish the entire meal." With that comment, he released her arm.

She stepped towards the tray examining its contents. It was laden with eggs, bacon and toast. All the foods, Lisa learned to avoid in exchange for coffee and nonfat yogurt in the morning. Nausea gripped her stomach and she felt dizzy. "_No wonder he seemed so confident." _Lisa thought grimly. Steeling herself, she picked up the fork and started to force the eggs down her throat. No more then a few minutes later, she felt her stomach begin to heave and she dashed into the bathroom expelling the contents of the meager portion she ate into the toilet.

Sweat gathered on her forehead as the nausea started to subside and exhaustion gradually came over her like a hazy mist in her mind. She leaned over the sink, pouring water into her palms as she splashed it onto her face. "It seems like I won the bet." Jackson's voice resonated behind her. Lisa didn't try to answer him. Her voice simply failed her as she observed herself hatefully in the mirror. "_What has become of me?"_ She asked herself.

"Why would you play a sick, twisted game like that on me?" She cried out at him as she placed her hands on the sink to keep herself standing.

"To prove a point." He said simply, his icy, blue eyes devouring hers.

"Which was what?" She snapped.

"That your not in control, Lisa. No one is really in control. Routines are only illusions of control designed to give you some sense of comfort. It's why I do what I do." He stated.

"Which is what?" Lisa whispered as she took deep breaths.

"Not right now, Lisa. We have so much else to talk about and I do look forward to it." He said in a seemingly menacing tone. "Will you go back to bed on your own or will I need to assist you?" He asked, grinning darkly at her.

Lisa shuddered and took another deep, cleansing breath before letting go of the sink. "I can walk." She said without looking at him.

As Lisa reluctantly crawled back on top of the bed, Jackson approached her with an IV bag filled with a strange, murky fluid. "What is that?" She asked desperately as she tried to move away from him.

"Lisa, it's not like you have a choice here." He said as he grasped her wrist, digging his fingers into the bandaged site where the original IV tore from her arm. "Do you want me to put the straps back on?" He asked.

Lisa refused to speak. Her head pounded as she stared at the source of her hatred. "_Nobody will ever believe me."_ She thought dejectedly but she was far from relinquishing whatever control she had without a fight. She pulled her arm free and swung herself off the bed, glaring at him recklessly. "Go to hell." She replied viciously as she grabbed the small lamp off her bedside table.

Jackson seemed to shake his head as if surprised by her sudden unwillingness to comply with his demands. He rapidly advanced on her as she swung the lamp in hopes of having it collide with his head. In one swift movement, he grabbed the lamp as she rotated it downwards and yanked it painfully out of her hand.

Gasping from the surprise of Jackson's quick response to her attack, she regained her balance and immediately stepped backwards away from him. She made one last attempt to dodge him however he seized her around the waist effectively pinning her arms to her side as she struggled against him. His grip tightened on her as he dragged her back onto the bed.

Pinning her wrists against the mattress in one hand, his other hand reached for an object on the tray beside her bed. _"No more drugs."_ She thought mournfully as a syringe came into view. Lisa could hardly move much less fight against him and she cried out in protest as she felt the sting of the needle in the crook of her elbow.

His hands released her as an overpowering mist seeped through her mind. _"I'll never get out of here."_ Was her last thought before she succumbed to the inviting sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa was adrift in a hazy, dreamless slumber as she was suddenly stirred awake by a persistent voice that seemed to call to her. "Go away." She mumbled unwilling to relinquish the tranquility that sleep provided.

Someone was shaking her forcefully. Groaning, she opened her eyes to meet Jackson's sapphiric, blue ones. Startled, she tried to move only to find her wrists and legs were once again in the thick straps that he had threatened her with earlier. "What more do you want from me?" She moaned. "Is is it really worth it to torture me further?"

He stared at her unblinking for a moment. "You don't understand. I'm here to help you." He responded as he started to unbuckle her straps.

Lisa watched him, perplexed. "What the hell kind of game are you playing now, Jack?" She asked derisively. He finished unbinding her and she sat up putting her hand to her head as a wave of dizziness overcame her.

"I know, the drugs he gave you. Can you walk?" He asked seeming to ignore her previous question. When she didn't speak, he reached for her arm. Lisa jerked it back. "What is this? What is going on?" She asked demandingly.

He regarded her coolly. "I can't explain it all to you right now Lisa but you are in danger here. I'm here to help you so it's either you stay here or you can leave this place tonight." He offered.

"Why would you help me?" She asked persistently as she got off the bed standing shakily on her feet. Suddenly, the door opened and Lisa turned around shocked at what she saw. _"No, this can't be real. I am insane."_ She thought. Standing at the door was Jackson in the doctors coat she had previously seen him in. She swung her head back to gaze at the identical version that was already in her room. She looked back and forth at the identical faces in disbelief as the two Jacksons she was seeing eyed each other contemptuously.

**I'm sorry. It's been a while since I have added but I'm been overwhelmed with work suddenly. Real estate is a unpredictable business. Anyway, more revelations to be revealed in the next chapter which I'm hoping to have completed in the next two days.**


	9. Dark Corridors

Lisa gazed at the two Jackson's in disbelief. Stumbling, she edged away to the window as she stared at the duplicate images of a nightmare she was certain had captured her mind.

She put her hand to her eyes and rubbed them to see if she could wash away the distorted reality from her mind. They were still there watching each other with apparent hatred and disgust. Her muddled brain was unable to decipher the loathing in the two men's pale blue eyes. "Oh my God. I'm losing my mind." She whispered as fear tore through her. Her hands clenched together as she felt her nails tear into her palms.

"No, Lisa, you aren't." Said the one who released her from the restraints. "Let her go. You managed to get me here. You don't need her." He addressed the man who was leaning against the door, his arms folded across his chest. "But I'm already having so much fun. Besides, it's not a matter of need. Needs and wants are always separate matters, wouldn't you say, Michael?" He asked derisively as he picked up a syringe and twiddled it between his fingers.

"_Michael?"_ Lisa asked herself. A glimmer of memory flashed as she remembered her would be assistant from Charles Keefe's staff. "Michael Blair?" She blurted out loud.

He turned to look at her and raised his eyebrows. "Your name is really Michael Blair?" She asked.

"Yes, Lisa. Everything we told you is true. Well, almost everything. This creep here is the real Jackson Rippner. Of course, his face is complements of plastic surgery and some specialty contact lenses." Michael turned back to Jackson. "Come on Rippner. You don't want her. Just let her go. Remember all the pain she caused you. How long did it take you to recover from the damn pen she shoved into your windpipe?" He taunted.

Jackson's face darkened at Michael's relentless sarcasm. "Besides what you wanted was to replace me. It would be perfect, wouldn't it? Don't you want to be in the center of Homeland Security and have an eventual chair in the Senate?" Michael asked snidely. "You don't need Lisa for that."

"So, I should just let her walk out of here? Is that it? You never understood, Michael. Your little self sacrifice is noble but Leese here belongs to me." Jackson said, his pale eyes focusing on Lisa.

Lisa finally found her voice. Unable to restrain herself, she strode over to Jackson and slapped him hard across the face. "You bastard. With all your idiotic logic you never understood that I was never yours to possess. You're pathetic Jack. Do you get that? I hate you!" She curled her hand into a fist and swung at him dimly hearing Michael's protestations.

Jackson grabbed her wrist before she could make contact with his face and twisted her arm behind her back while his other hand encircled her neck, squeezing her throat as he pressed her against him. She gasped for air as she watched Michael who suddenly had a gun in his hand pointed at the struggling pair. "Let her go Rippner. These games are beneath you." He snarled.

"I don't think so." Jackson said. "I enjoy Lisa's company way too much. She does have spirit doesn't she, Michael." He said as Lisa fought against him. His grip tightened on her as he caressed her neck with his thumb. She felt a wave of malevolence overcome her. "Like hell." She managed to mutter as she drove her elbow into his stomach.

Jackson was momentarily winded as his grip weakened on her. She pulled herself free and reeled backwards away from him as Michael came forward and used his gun as a blunt instrument, bashing it against Jackson's temple. He collapsed unconscious on the tile floor and Lisa desperate to escape started to run out of the hospital room.

A hand gripped her upper arm pulling her back. "No, Lisa." Michael's voice whispered in her ear. "They'll catch you within seconds. I have another way." He said. Lisa turned to him and shivered looking at the face that identical to that of her nemesis. "You must be insane to think I'm going with you. For all I know, this could be another sick mind game." She retorted pulling her arm out of his grasp.

Michael reached out and seized her arm pulling her to him. "Lisa, I have no time to argue about it. Either you come with me or take your chances with them." He said inclining his head to the door. Distantly, Lisa could hear voices of the approaching staff. They would not feel compelled to believe her once they found Jackson's unconscious form on the ground. Groaning at the turmoil she felt inside her, she nodded at Michael. "Fine. Lead the way." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He took her hand leading her to the shaft where the ventilation duct entered the room. Pulling off the grate, he started to crawl through the narrow, dusty corridor and paused to look behind him at Lisa. Biting her lip, attempting to overcome her suddenly present claustrophobia, she followed him into the shaft, pulling the grate back into its proper place. The darkness of the small tunnel pressed on her as she continued to make her way through the enclosed space. _"There is no light or air."_ She thought, feeling panicky.

Gasping from the fear as the blackness seemed to writhe around her; she stopped crawling trying to breathe despite her rapidly beating heart. She felt her hand being taken. "Lisa, it's okay. There is plenty of air. Cup your hand over your mouth and breathe." He instructed. Lisa complied without hesitation and the dizziness that was starting to gather receded. Determinedly, she once again resumed her crawl along the seemingly endless route until she saw a faint gleam of light casting a glow at the end of the corridor.

Pulling the grate off, Michael propelled himself into the ventilation room and assisted Lisa in descending from the shaft. Opening another door at the end of the room led them into the darkened parking lot. He strode ahead walking directly to the silver Acura parked next to the exit of the medical center.

"_I'm free_."Lisa thought as she stared after Michael's retreating figure. She had decided to follow him until he found an exit. Now finding herself out in the night air, Lisa decided to take her chances on her own. She did not relish spending anymore time with Jackson nor his duplicate for that matter despite whomever he claimed to be. Glancing around, she saw a service station directly next to the facility and started to run towards it. A hand gripped her elbow yanking her backwards as she fell against Michael's form.

"Let me go. Look, you did your good deed!" She said, as she endeavored to escape his hold on her. He said nothing in reply but started to drag her to the car. "Michael, please, let's just call the police." She exclaimed. Behind her, she heard the sound of a siren that seemed to explode from the depths of the hospital. A man emerged from the hospital entrance and for a moment, Lisa and him shared a silent stare. "It's him. Jackson!" She whispered.

No longer wishing to resist Michael's unyielding grip, she hurriedly followed him into the car. The Acura sped out of the parking lot as the lone figure walked casually to the sidewalk bordering the street staring after them, a slight smile gracing his usual cold expression causing his arctic, blue eyes to light up in anticipation. "Let the games begin." He said softly.

**Sorry for the delay. Now that spring is here and the real estate market is high, it's harder to find times to write like I want to. Plus, I was trying to figure out which direction I wanted this story to go.**


	10. Dawning Realizations

"Are you all right?" Michael asked Lisa Reisert, as she clenched her fists in her lap, holding herself rigidly in the passenger seat of the car. She stared numbly out the window without even acknowledging the question presented to her.

He reached out a hand to touch her arm and with the sudden contact she jerked herself away from him pressing her body against the car door. "Don't touch me!" She responded shrilly.

Michael sighed and put his hand back on the steering wheel. "Whatever you say, Lisa." He said resignedly.

Lisa stared at him fearfully feeling that her mind was finally lost to her as her eyes carefully took in his every feature. He was a fragment from a nightmare with the same angular face, the pale, seemingly malevolent blue eyes almost obscured by dark hair. "This is insane!" She whispered.

"Probably. But here we are." He responded. She shivered uncontrollably unable to meet his gave feeling overwhelmed by the surge of memories that radiated through her consciousness.

"Look, thank you for helping me." Lisa said quickly looking at her hands. "Just drop me off at the airport and I'll be out of your way." Nausea crept through her. To be in the same car with this malignant image of Jackson was repugnant to her. Hatred swelled in her chest as she remembered all the horror that she faced with a man whose crime now surpassed the experience of her rape.

"I'm sorry, Lisa. I can't do that and for what it's worth, I'm sorry for lying to you. But we needed to figure out Jackson's agenda and your assistance has been most helpful to us." Michael replied curtly.

She regarded him with contempt. "So, I was just prey? You didn't think you could simply ask me or tell me what the situation one. I would love the chance to bring that bastard down. He deserves to be castrated for what he did to me. There is not a day that goes by that I wish I had killed him. If you approached me, I might have said yes!"

He looked at her and his tone belied amusement. "Killing him would defeat the purpose of taking him alive. We need to find out what he knows and who exactly he works for. Also, we need to know what other plans they might have. That information could help save many lives. I wasn't supposed to pull you out so soon but Jackson was preparing to move you to a location we can't properly trace so I needed to act." He stated curtly.

Lisa shook her head in disgust. "So, I was simply bait for you to use? Do you have any idea of what I have gone through?" She demanded.

Michael started to open his mouth but Lisa cut him off. "I was raped in a parking lot four years ago and for years, I punished myself thinking that because I didn't fight back, that I somehow deserved it. I was tainted by that and there is not a day that goes by that I don't feel contaminated by it. Then, Jackson Rippner comes into my life just when I decided I needed to take a chance. That I simply couldn't hide from everyone for the rest of my life isolating myself from men just to play it safe. I berated myself for that voice inside my mind telling me to stay away from him. I wanted to be stronger then that and Jackson simply played. He tried to control me and forced me to sell my own soul just because he didn't have one. Do you know that a therapist in the past asked me I had some lingering underlying attraction to that bastard and I seriously became sick to my stomach? And now, he tortures me and you simply allowed it. If you think I am voluntarily going along with this little game, you are out of your mind. Now let me out of the damn car!" She cried venomously.

Lisa grabbed the handle of the still moving car trying to wrench it open eager to escape the nightmare of Jackson's face that seemed to constantly plague her existence. Her attempt to the leave the car was thwarted as Michael grabbed her upper arm, his fingers digging into her bicep. "Lisa, I know this is uncomfortable but you need for the moment to get over it. If you can get over yourself for a moment, there a bigger picture here. Keefe did not purposely set out to put you in danger. We were following you the whole time." Michael yanked the car over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Lisa struggled to dislodge the grip he had on her arm.

"Once we get Jackson, we'll put him away in a maximum security prison for life. Don't you think it would be worth some pain to have that kind of assurance for you and your family?" He asked pointedly.

Lisa stared searchingly in the blue eyes that she thought were uniquely Jackson's, her mind racing. "I don't know if I can do this." She murmured.

"Then Jackson will win. No matter where you go, Jackson will find you. He's obsessed with you. Remember he followed you for eight weeks and he knows all your routines, your habits, every precise detail." Michael said knowingly.

"Not every detail." She muttered.

He shrugged. "Yes, he missed that critical detail. He won't miss again, Lisa."

Lisa glared at him. "You set me up. The entire department played me. How do you expect me to trust you?"

Michael shrugged as his hands seemed to clench the steering wheel in a tighter grasp. "I don't but what's your alternative? Jackson maybe a sociopath but he is also brilliant. He'll be waiting for you in Miami. I know I would."

Lisa bit her lip in frustration as she felt intense helplessness. Her eyes once again settled on the passing scenery which seemed to merge together into a mass of darkened images. Her mind tried to sort through the confusion of the last few days as Jackson had driven her to the point of insanity plummeting to a state of primal fear.

"Fear." She whispered. Michael glanced at her with a puzzled expression.

"What did you say?" He asked.

Shaking her head, Lisa replied. "Jackson wanted to see me afraid. He enjoyed me fear and tried to push me into insanity."

Michael didn't respond as his eyes focused intensely on the road as Lisa considered what she was saying. On the plane, Jackson was cold and calculating to a point of ruthless efficiency. For Jackson, it wasn't about causing Lisa fear although the flight had been one of the most terrifying nights of her life. It was about completing his particular job. She recalled briefly the comment he said to her in the bathroom on the flight.

"_I never lied to you, Leese? Know why? 'Cause it doesn't serve me. We're both professional. We have the will and the means to follow through. 'Cause when we don't, our customers aren't happy. And when they're not, we suffer and our lives go to shit."_

Lisa felt her hands shake as she turned her head to look at Michael whose gaze remained fixed on the road in front of him. "Who was he back in the hospital?" She asked, looking at him praying her suspicions weren't correct.

His head turned and he stared at her, his cold, blue eyes filled with malice. "I didn't want this to get complicated." He said sighing.

Memory flashed through Lisa's mind. _"I didn't want this to get complicated, Lisa. I have to assume she's gonna read that."_

"Jackson." She whispered. The man she had thought to be Michael whom she had began to believe was her savior, laughed softly. His faced twisted in a malevolent grin.

"That's some pretty clear thinking, Leese given the circumstances. Didn't I tell you when it was all over, I was going to steal you?" He asked maliciously.

Shock resonated through her as she understood the depth of Jackson's words. It was all a game so that Lisa would willingly fall into his little trap.

"You lied to me and I thought you told me you never lied." She threw at him accusingly.

Jackson sneered at her. "In business I never lie but wouldn't you agree that this is personal Leese? Besides, in a way, I am Michael and I am Jackson Rippner. It all depends on your perspective."

"The doctor back at the hospital?" Lisa asked, her voice starting to shake as rage started to consume her.

"My twin brother but not to worry, Lisa. I'll save the introductions once we get home. I know he's been dying to meet you!" He said.

With those words, a cry of unsuppressed rage escaped her as she launched herself on Jackson attempting to grab the steering wheel and force the car off the road. She wanted nothing more but to kill him, to see those icy, blue eyes widen in horror as he faced the inevitable fate of his impending death. "You bastard!" She screamed. "I'll kill you. I swear I will!"

The car started to go into a spin as Jackson fought to gain control of the car and grab Lisa's wrist at the same time. She wildly reined blows down upon him, twisting in her seat to avoid his grasp.

The night was filled with unending shrieks as finally the car rammed into a tree and last thing Lisa heard was the ear splitting crunch of twisted metal before she plummeted into darkness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**I'm sorry that's it been a while since I've updated. I've been sick for several days with that flu that is going around the office plus I didn't know how exactly I was going to proceed with the story. I decided to make it into a crossover to test myself to see how I manage to incorporate another character. Anyway, so it took a while to form this chapter but I decided to speed up some of the realizations so that the characters can come together. I know it's been confusing but hopefully, it wills straighten itself out in the next chapter.**


	11. Nothing to Fear

Lisa's eyes fluttered open as she took in the smell of burning rubber that permeated the air around her. "_What happened?"_ She asked herself as she took in the scene that surrounded her. She was sitting in the passenger seat of the car that was twisted around the remnants of an oak tree. The hissing sound of a fire and the resulting smoke caused Lisa to break into a paroxysm of coughing. She knew she had to get out of there.

Her trembling fingers found the button to disengage the seat belt and Lisa gathered her strength and crawled carefully out of the broken windshield. _"Where is Jackson?"_ Lisa thought fearfully. The driver's side of the car had been empty and even through Lisa's blurred vision; she could not spot Jackson in the immediate vicinity.

"_My head is killing me." _Lisa put her hand to her temple as she rolled onto the soft earth on the side of the road. She waited to see if the blurriness would dissipate but continued to crawl away from the car. Her fear of Jackson finding her propelled her as she felt shards of glass cut into her hands, as she crawled. She winced in pain and attempted to get to her feet. Upon standing, she nearly passed out as a wave of blackness assaulted her senses. With mounting relief, she felt it pass leaving the intense dizziness in its wake as she made her initial, tentative steps forward.

She had to find a phone and distantly she remembered that there were emergency phones on highways and freeways to help out stranded motorists. Berating herself for being so quick to follow Jackson into the ventilation system in the hospital, she had not retrieved her purse. _"It's not like that bastard of a doctor would have given it to me anyway." _She thought. "What a creep." She muttered thinking back on how he pulled the nasty bait and switch on her with the food. Lisa didn't want to contemplate on his role in this. It was horrible enough that there two of them.

"Two Jacksons. And one is bad enough." She said out loud.

A chilling, all too familiar voice spoke from behind her. "Not quite, Miss Reisert. As it stands, you have never really known me."

Lisa gasped and turned around. For a moment, she thought the man was Jackson but despite the apparent resemblance, the man before her was thinner then Jackson's usual wiry form. He held himself in a rigid stance as he seemed to catch her every movement with a look of indifference in his pale, blue eyes that were somewhat obscured behind glasses that seemed to give him a demeanor of innate elegance but at the same time an inner ruthlessness.

His hair was several shades darker then Jackson's which stood in stark contrast to his cerulean eyes which seemed to glimmer at her in their intensity. Realization stirred in Lisa. "You're not Jackson. You're the doctor from the hospital." He smiled as he regarded her coldly. Lisa shivered feeling deep in her heart that something was wrong with him. There was something missing from him and somehow Lisa knew that he could great pleasure in her perpetual torment. She started to back away from him. "What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" She asked shakily as she tried to swallow the lump that was in her throat.

"Did you know that we all wear masks, Miss Reisert?" He asked in response. "Jackson has told me you've been wearing yours for a while. It's become habitual for you to never let anyone see who you truly are."

Lisa jerked backwards at the mention of Jackson. "I don't understand. Where is Jackson?" She asked, looking fearfully around her.

"Waiting for you, Miss Reisert. He called me after the accident and being the kind of brother I am, I found my way here. Yet, despite your attempt on his life, he still insists on your company." He said. Lisa flinched at those words.

"Jackson isn't the one you should fear, Miss Reisert. As I often tell my patients, there is nothing to fear but fear itself." His voice echoed through her softly.

"Who are you?" Lisa demanded, feeling horror creep through her.

He grinned at her derisively. "At one time, I was Dr. Jonathan Crane. Now, I am the very element of fear." His hand went into his blazer pocket. "Now that I have seen your mask, Miss Reisert, would you like to see mine?"

Lisa whirled around and started to run from him. She had remembered hearing about Crane months ago and had heard the stories of the cruel experiments he had done on his patients leading up to the drug that had filled Gotham City's skies. She had considered herself lucky to be living no where close to that hellhole.

She could hardly see where she was going as the injury to her head caused her vision to swim. Light-headed from the crash, she stumbled along the side of the road desperate to escape the nightmare she felt plunged into.

Hands seized her around the waist as she started to scream in protest. Her screams faded as she knew there would be no one around to hear them. Instinctively, she swung her left elbow back making contact with her assailant. The arm that held her suddenly released her as she heard him mutter quiet oaths in pain. She turned around to face him, staggering backwards.

Crane had dropped a metal canister and a piece of burlap on the ground as he briefly stopped to rub his cheek. Bending down quickly, he retrieved them, his eyes glimmering with triumph.

"Stay away from me." Lisa said warningly. She quickly looked around her for anything that could be used for a weapon.

"Now, why would I do that after Jackson went through all the trouble to call me on your behalf. You know that you are in no condition to fight me." He replied mockingly.

Lisa shook her head. "Is this nothing but a game to you? Why don't you guys get it over with and kill me. Nothing you can do can frighten me anymore then he has already!"

"Ah, the inner subtleties of the human mind. There are other things to fear but death, Miss Reisert. I merely embody an archetype." He said. Lisa's eyes widened as he lifted up the cannister.

"What is that?" She demanded, breathing hard. Anxiety had tightened its grip on her chest.

"My creation, Miss Reisert. My medicine." Crane said with a tone of unadulterated pride. His voice resumed with the same icy undercurrent as before. "Perhaps you should have some. Clear your head."

"_Shit!"_ Lisa thought as she turned around and started to run. Her eager sprint was interrupted as she tripped over a tree branch and fell to the ground. She groaned as her body made impact with the earth beneath it. Before she could stand up again a hand gripped her upper arm twisting it, causing her to fall on her back. Lisa's eyes only caught the sight of the strange figure wearing a burlap sack as he raised his arm.

A gaseous, white cloud enveloped her and Lisa started to cough, choking as the toxin entered her lungs. She started to scream as he grabbed her arm pulling her upwards so they were face to face. Her cries vented the air as she saw the burlap he was wearing dissolve into a mass of writhing spiders and insects. They were crawling on her, biting through her skin, making holes in her flesh as they proceeded to wriggle their way into her skin. Her mind became consumed with them as flashes of memory started to emerge in front of her.

Dimly she heard a whisper in her ear. "They scream and they cry..." Darkness swelled over her vision as her fevered brain tried to grasp onto any last straw of reality before plummeting into the abyss of nightmares that Jonathan Crane had in store for her.

**I had this chapter written on Saturday but the system wouldn't let me upload. Anyway, still, I think I got it in as faster then my other:) I hope I'm accurate to Crane's character. I was a little nervous writing his dialogue so please let me know either way. I don't mind critical advice.**


	12. Hidden Agenda

_Lisa was back in the Fresh Air flight bathroom pinned against the wall as she felt Jackson's fingers dig into her jaw. His breath was warm against her neck as he pressed closer to her effectively rendering her struggles useless against him by the weight of his body. He had managed to lower the blouse she was wearing to reveal the scar she had always desperately tried to conceal._

"_No. Not again." She thought helplessly as her body started to shake. _

"_Did someone do that to you?" He asked, as his voice took on a tone that Lisa could not identify. She started to shake her head in response._

_She was back in the parking lot as she felt the weight of her rapist on top of her. His knife was cutting into the skin of her chest as she tried to disconnect within her mind of what was going on around her. She stared blankly at the blue sky above her as she wondered if he would kill her after he was done. The weight finally lifted off her and she at last saw the face of her assailant. Jackson's face loomed above her as his eye's captured hers with a look of dominance and disdain. "Thanks for the quickie." He said derisively to her. Lisa tried to dislodge the scream that was stifled in her throat._

_Lisa was back in the bathroom on the plane as Jackson looked expectantly at her. He was asking her about the scar. "No." She said refusing to give him he satisfaction of knowing. His tone became harsher. "Is that it?" He asked once more._

"_No." She said again as she shrank back away from him. _

"_You know what I think?" He asked coolly. In a sudden burst of rage, he grabbed her and forced her next to the mirror where her traitorous writing still stood as a warning nobody would see. He grabbed her neck with one hand and squeezed her throat while Lisa gasped for air. "I think you're not such an honest person because I've followed you for eight weeks now and I never once saw you order anything but a fucking sea breeze." His words echoed with rage as Lisa tried to protest against him._

"_I can't breathe. I can't breathe." She managed to whisper. _

_The scenery changed and she was laying in the backseat of a car. The spiders were back chewing on her body and she could feel them underneath her skin. A giant mass of them wreathed it's way over her and she opened her mouth to cry out. To her horror, the spiders crawled into her mouth and she started to choke. Distantly she heard whispers._

"_You wanted her to be punished."_

"_...think she's had it. Give it to her now."_

"_...will take time before we see effects."_

_Lisa saw a figure come into her field of vision and she knew it was the same person who brought the spiders. His face started to distort into a burlap mask that crawled with the insects as they started to leap from him to her body. Frantically, she tried to back away from him but he pinned her arms down and crawled on top of her. Inside she was screaming as she struggled against him, closing her eyes to prevent her from seeing the horrors of his face. She could feel the sting of needle in her arm and suddenly, his weight was off of her._

_Another pair of arms dragged her from the car and started to carry her. "Home sweet home, Leese." She heard whispered. Lisa kept her eyes firmly closed shut. The spiders were starting to dissolve from her body and in her exhaustion, she let herself drift into the abyss away from what she knew was a dream._

_She was back in the parking lot laying down on the cement unable to move after her attacker had finally left. The sun was beating down on her mercilessly as she curled up into a ball. Her skin was burning. She was suffocating from the excessive heat pouring through her. "Maybe I'll shrivel up and die." She thought. _

_A shadow disrupted the sun's scorching rays as Lisa glanced up fearfully. It was Jackson. She moaned and turned her head away. His hand was on her arm shaking her. "Come on Lisa. I know you're in there. Wake up." He said commandingly. _

She blinked her eyes and the parking lot disappeared to be replaced by a darkened room offset by the light of a small lamp that was turned on beside her. Lisa was lying on top of a bed in a completely unfamiliar room dark mahogany furniture against the dark green interior. She tried to get up to better see where she was when a hand suddenly pressed down on her shoulder pushing her back on the bed.

Jackson's face appeared before her. "Jack." She muttered softly in disdain. "Are you here to kill me now?"

He smiled at her diffidently. "Now, Leese, why would I want to do that? When I went through all the trouble of having you brought here."

"Your brother did something to me." Lisa said as she tried to search her jumbled memory to figure out what exactly happened. She remembered his cold demeanor, the same blue eyes that soullessly preyed on her dread. "The mask." She said panicky. "He drugged me and you let him." Her voice filled with accusation.

He shrugged complacently. "Well, he owed me one and you weren't playing by the rules. Consequences had to be enforced." She glared at him loathingly. "Oh, Leese, don't look at me that way. Besides blood is thicker then water. I did need his help in obtaining what belongs to me. In return, I got him out of Gotham and helped him to establish a new identity here. You could say he owed me one."

Things were falling into place as Jackson continued. "He helped me switch out my records with another patient because after all Jackson Rippner is my alias and I can't have more people knowing who I am."

"Who is Michael Blair?" Lisa asked. She shuddered inside as she pondered how there could be real people like this in the world. Sociopaths who never gave it a second thought before they killed others. There was something missing inside them that made them just vessels of pure evil.

"Technically, I am. I took over his identity years ago in hopes of gaining further entrance into Homeland Security. My supposed father, the senator, actually works with us too. We managed to update the information in the system with our fingerprints and my photos. The senator had to have some plastic surgery done but fortunately for me, the real Michael Blair wasn't too well known. I managed to get rid of all potential witnesses and other complications." Jackson said, smiling with pride. "You killed them, didn't you?" Lisa asked. Jackson said nothing. The answer was evident.

"Why am I here Jack? Am I just a toy for you to play with? Are you going to kill me eventually or is this just revenge?" She spat at him.

Jackson reached and started to stroke her hair. She shivered in disgust. "Don't touch me." She said as she tried to pull away from him.

He grabbed her chin. "Lisa, don't confuse the fact that since you are my property you have the right to speak to me that way. I watched you for eight weeks before the flight for a reason and it wasn't just for the purpose of switching hotel rooms. If I am to get to senate chair, I need to have an image of a family. I need a wife and you have just the right background. The voters will love you, Leese. Just as I do."

She felt shock radiate through her as she gave him a look of utter hatred. "Go to hell, you sadistic bastard. I thought you were all for fact based logic, Jack but you have simply lost it. The only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious!"

"I see our patient is awake." A cold voice said on the other side of the room. Lisa turned her head to see Crane standing there with a small smile on his otherwise pallid face.

"Leese, you remember my brother Jon, right?" Jackson asked acerbically as he turned to face his brother. "It seems Lisa here doesn't want to play along. I think it's time for her medicine."

Her face drained of all color as she was instantly reminded of the horrors she experienced when Crane had sprayed the contents of the canister in her face. She jerked up on the bed and tried to crawl backwards still weak from the effects of the last dosage. "No, get away from me." She cried out. Immediately, Jackson had gripped her arms and pinned her down on the bed as she struggled against him.

"So, Lisa, these are the rules. If you don't behave and do exactly as I say, you get to take another wild trip down the rabbit hole. This is a warning, Lisa. Next time, I won't be so generous." Jackson said. A needle suddenly punctured her arm and she whimpered in pain as Crane dispelled the fluid from a syringe into her vein. Her arms were released as she felt herself drift away from the living nightmare into a dark, dreamless sleep.


	13. Catharsis

Lisa opened her eyes to the same darkened room that had seemed to be an echo from a nightmare she longed to escape. She groaned inwardly at the lethargy that crept through her entire body. "_I have to get out of here."_ She thought.

Gathering her strength, she tried to move her weakened limbs. It was a futile effort as she fell back on the bed and closed her eyes feeling waves of nausea at the attempt. A hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist and Lisa jerked her eyes open and looked at the figure who sat calmly beside her bed. "Crane." She muttered tiredly.

He studiously took her pulse making notes on a memo pad that sat on the night table. "I prefer Dr. Crane." He said in response without taking his eyes from his notes.

"I believe you lost that privilege when you started tormenting your patients. Ever heard of the Hippocratic Oath you took as a doctor where you pledged to 'Do no harm'?" Lisa asked spitefully. She gasped in pain as he squeezed her wrist.

"I'd be careful, Miss Reisert with what you say to me or I'll forget to be kind." He told her icily as his nails dug into her flesh.

"Kind?" Lisa asked, unable to resist the urge to taunt him. "That's remarkable, coming from you, _doctor, a sadist_. How have you been kind over the last couple days?"

He countered her. "Would you like to know the difference, Miss Reisert? I have no illusions about who I am as a scientist. The mask only allows others to see into themselves. Fears disable you from taking risks in life. I was merely causing you to see the fears you tend to repress and bring them to the surface. That is why I do what I do."

Lisa turned her face away from him unable to say anything in reply to his idiotic explanation about his experimentation. "Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?" She muttered softly.

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his fathomless blue eyes. "I don't need to tell myself anything, Lisa. I have no fear or shame for what I do. I have purpose and that is what drives me." Crane released her chin as he made a note. "Pupils are dilating normally." He said quietly.

Lisa once again tried to sit up in bed. The very movement caused her heart to race from the exertion and her hands trembled involuntarily. But she managed to prop herself up as she took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. "What did you give me?" She asked remembering the injection.

"Only a mild sedative. The weakness you're experiencing is because you haven't had anything solid to eat in the last two days. I employed a feeding tube while you were unconscious. I believe we can start you on a solid diet now." He told her.

Lisa felt disgust at the very mention of food and the fact that this creep had taken advantage of the time she was unconscious to use a feeding tube on her was repugnant.

"I'm not hungry." She replied firmly.

He stood up and clasped his hands firmly in front of him. "Miss Reisert, that sounds like your being uncooperative. Do I strike you as the kind of person that would not use force to accomplish my goals? You are severely mistaken. I would take great pleasure out of putting the feeding tube in while you awake without the benefits of anesthetic of course."

Without thinking, Lisa launched herself at him enraged. He toppled off the chair as her body collided with his as she dug her fingernails into his neck. "How do you like the pain now, you sadistic bastard?" She yelled at him. "I managed to beat your brother before. I'll do it again." Her hand reached for the canister inside his jacket so she could show him a little of the torment he had shown her. Her fingers closed around the metal casing when Crane's hand went around her throat as he twisted his body to get on top of hers.

"_No!" _Lisa thought in alarm and in a moment of pure adrenalin, she yanked herself out of his grip unsteadily backing away to the other side of the room. She aimed the canister that she managed to retrieve at him. He stood up and a small smile hovered on his lips as he gave her a look of one admonishing a petulant child. "Stay away from me." She said warningly. "I promise you, I'll use this."

He chuckled softly at her in response. "I have no doubt, Miss Reisert but it would be a wasted expenditure of your energy. You know it would be foolish of me especially after last time to not properly inoculate myself from that eventuality." He continued as he approached her. "That has no effect on me but I cannot say the same for you. I, for one, learn from my mistakes. You apparently do not."

Lisa gazed at him panic-stricken in a split moment of indecision. She turned from him and grabbed the door knob pulling the door open to race down the corridor. Gripping the canister, she pushed herself down the dark hallway desperately trying to find a door out of the prison she was in. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned the corner and ran into another room pressing herself into the small interior closet.

"_What do I do? I can't stay here."_ She thought. Lisa couldn't hear the footsteps anymore but decided to stay hidden for a few more moments just in case. Minutes passed and she poked her head timidly around the corner to see if Crane was simply lying in wait for her. All she saw was the same hallway however it was empty of any presence.

Gingerly, she stepped out of her hiding place trying to walk as quietly as possible as she approached the door. She stuck her head out into the hallway and was about to step into the empty corridor.

An arm wrapped around her from behind pinning her wrists to her side and Lisa screamed in response. A hand clamped over her mouth and she heard a whisper. "Forget I was here, Leese?"

"_Jackson!"_ She tried to bite his hand and she was backhanded across the face. Letting out a cry of pain, she dropped the canister on the ground. Jonathan Crane's lanky form filled the doorway as he smiled as her eyes widened in fear. She fought wildly against Jackson's unyielding grip.

"I think we've been entirely too trusting of Miss Reisert, don't you agree, Jackson?" Crane asked chillingly. "Perhaps we should consider strapping her to the bed for the duration of her treatment." He glanced coldly at her. "We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, would we?" He asked contemptuously.

Jackson dragged her back to her room as she struggled against him only to be pinned to the bed as Crane applied the thick straps he had previously used in the hospital over her arms and legs. Tears of exhaustion ran down her face as she simply looked pleadingly at them. With all their apparent physical similarities, Lisa felt she was staring at two different sides of evil. One was a sadist and one was simply a killer. They had sold their souls a long time ago and had gotten lost in their constant attempts to rationalize their abhorrent behavior.

"I warned you, Lisa." Jackson said, shaking his head as he looked at his brother whose face seemed to light up as Jackson nodded his approval and walked out of the room.

Crane came forward and sat down on the bed letting his finger trace along the side of Lisa's face. His delicate touch traced her cheekbone and went down to her neck as Lisa shivered in revulsion. "I can see why Jackson favors you." He whispered to her as he raised the canister to her face.

Lisa's mind was swept away to a surreal land of nightmares as Jonathan Crane stood by the bed watching her in fascination. "I can see all too clearly." He said.


	14. Conquering Terror

Lisa woke to a severely pounding headache as the last of the drug seemed to push its way out of her system. She tried to put her hand to her head only to find that her wrists were latched to the bed by thick straps. She pulled against them, feeling helpless.

"So, Leese, did you learn your lesson?" Jackson asked. He was sitting in the chair beside her bed appearing bemused as Lisa glared malevolently at him. "Sorry. The straps were for your protection. Jon thought they were necessary to make sure you didn't hurt yourself."

"I need to use the bathroom." She muttered. Trying to reason with Jackson was a futile effort and Lisa desperately wanted to focus on just one thing-escape. He looked at her skeptically. "Oh, come on Jack, where am I going to go with the two of you here?" She asked disdainfully.

He shrugged and started to undo her straps. "Just as long as you remember that Lisa. Any attempt at escape and you will suffer the immediate consequences such as the night before. My brother is not as understanding as I am." He said easily.

Lisa stood up on her shaky limbs and nearly fell. Jackson seized her upper arm to keep her steady. She yanked her arm back after she regained her sense of balance and walked slowly to the bathroom attached to the room.

"I presume you want to take a shower. Here are a change of clothes for after you are done." Jackson said as he thrust a bag into her arms. She immediately walked in and closed the door behind her looking for a lock so she could at least feel somewhat secure. To her immense disappointment, there was none. The bathroom had essentially been stripped bare leaving nothing that Lisa could possibly use as a weapon.

Shaking her head, she removed the soiled nightgown that she was wearing and turned the water on letting the cleansing hot water pour over her. It felt heavenly even in the predicament she was in.

Finally Lisa stepped out of the shower and removed the clothing that Jackson had provided for her. To her surprise, she found a pair of forest green flannel pants and a matching tank top and sweatshirt. At home, it was one of her favorite items of clothing that she loved to change into after a hard day at work. However, looking at them now made Lisa shudder as she realized the implications. _"He must of retrieved them from my apartment. God only knows how many times he's been in there."_ She thought.

Changing quickly, she opened the door to find Jackson standing in wait for her. "Better." He said approvingly.

"How many times were you in my apartment?" She demanded.

"Oh, not as many times as you think, Leese. Jon was only too happy to assist me on some of those ventures. He was actually the one who put together some of the main details of that plan so when the time came, no one would believe you when you tried to tell others about me. It's one of the great things about having a twin. We can switch places so easily since who knows you better then family?" He asked mockingly.

"So, he was just pretending to be you at the hospital and I believed it." Lisa whispered.

"Oh, don't take it so hard Lisa. In jobs like ours, circumstances sometimes require creativity in order to get things done." Jackson's hand gripped her elbow. "Now, I want you to eat and we are not going to have a problem this time right Lisa?" He asked.

Lisa looked away in silent resignation. He took her chin in his hand and turned it so she was facing him. "Right Lisa?" He asked again.

"Yes." She said softly. Distantly, she remembered the ordeal of eating the greasy semblance of breakfast that Crane had served her in order to play a horrid game with her that he knew he would win.

She wanted so badly to kill Jackson right then. To make him and Crane suffer as much as she had suffered. Lisa knew that no amount of reasoning with him would ever change who he was. Beyond the surface he was a cold blooded killer who cared little for the torment he put others through. Jonathan Crane, if possible, was worse then Jackson who seemed to relish in the fear and pain of others.

"Good." He responded and he proceeded to leave the room. She heard a click as the door was locked, imprisoning her in the bedroom. Lisa glanced around her as she realized that the room had no windows and the only light emanated from the lamp on the table. She mournfully tugged at the door despite the fact that Jackson had made that attempt futile.

Rage and despair consumed her as she slumped to the floor cradling her legs with her arms as she started to weep. Salty tears slipped down her face as she thought about how much she missed her father and the increasing loneliness and dread she felt. She buried her head into her knees and tried to hide from the world she felt was constantly consuming her. "_Please God, help me."_ She prayed silently. Lisa hadn't been to church in a long time. Since the rape, she felt that a piece of her soul that had dissolved within her. _"Why would God want something so unclean?"_ She had thought.

When she had met Jackson Rippner and had made her initial steps out of the shell she encased herself in, Lisa's trust was ripped apart. She remembered exactly when it happened. "_You_ _tell the flight attendant and your Dad dies."_ Jackson's word's constantly replayed through her brain.

She was shaking as her sobs intensified. "_Oh God, I don't know what to do. I just want to die._" It was her descent into a terrifying darkness that was threatening to devour her.

Lisa couldn't hear the door open as she still huddled in the obscure corner of the room. She suddenly felt hands on her wrists gently pulling them away from her face. She gasped and looked up to find Jonathan Crane looking intently at her, his eyes capturing hers with a look of aloofness and curiosity.

She angrily berated herself for her tears and tried to yank her arms from Crane's grip. Above anything else, she did not want to appear weak in front of him just so he could use that to his own advantage. His grip tightened on her arms despite her effort and Lisa was too exhausted to break free.

Her heart raced as she tried to steel her nerves. "What do you want?" She demanded.

He gave her a slight smile. "You're afraid of me, aren't you Lisa?" He asked softly. Lisa started to shake her head. Even if it was true, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing. His grip on her wrist tightened. "Don't lie to me. Honestly and openness is always an essential step in therapy." He advised.

"You're not my therapist nor would I ever want you to be." Lisa managed to say evenly.

Crane released his grip on one of her wrists as he reached out to gently caress her face. Lisa flinched at his touch. "You fear me more then Jackson. Why pretend that isn't true? I can see into you, Lisa. You're disgust is evident of my brother yet he doesn't give you the same terror as I give you or could give you Lisa." He laughed softly. "Jackson told me about the rape and your struggle with him on the plane. I've heard your nightmares as well after I gave you the toxin. I can purge that fear from you, Lisa. All you have to do is embrace the terror and then it becomes a part of you."

Lisa glared at him with revulsion. "You're insane." She tried to pull away from his grip once again. "Let me go!" She said insistently feeling panic rise in her throat. Her back was pressed into the wall as his hand continued to caress her face moving his hand forward to stroke her still damp hair, running his fingers through it. She shivered in spite of herself at his touch. "Please…" She begged her voice trailed off. His eyes were empty, without depth holding no compassion or sense of mercy.

His hand circled around to grip her throat, raising her to a standing position as Lisa struggled to breathe unable to fight the grip he had on her neck. With his other hand, he removed a surgical scalpel from his pocket and with same measure of delicacy; he put the knife right on her cheek. "Please don't do this." She managed to whisper.

"Lisa, I'm bringing you clarity. You hide that scar on your chest because you fear what it represents." He told her softly as he brought the scalpel down, revealing the scar with his hand. "Tell me what frightens you about looking at it." He said as he gently ran the edge of the knife along the scar. A small stream of blood appeared in its wake. Lisa tried to scream but only managed a muffled whimper. "I'm only exposing the truth to you, Lisa." He said as he ran his fingers along the fresh cut. He lifted his fingers away revealing them red with her blood.

Suddenly a furious voice came from behind him. "What the hell are you doing Jon?" Jackson demanded, his eyes filled with rage.

Crane shrugged indifferently. He released his grip on Lisa and she collapsed on the ground, as she took in deep breaths as she cringed against the wall. Crane looked at his brother and then glanced at Lisa. She was filled with dread of what she saw in those pale, blue eyes. In them, she saw the same cold ruthlessness mixed with intense anticipation.

"Until next time, Miss Reisert." He said reverting to his superficial, professional demeanor and walked out the door.

Jackson took in the scene in a moment as he made his way to her. He bent down to help her to her feet. "Get away from me, Jack." She screamed. Shivering from the ordeal with Crane, she wanted to stay in her corner forever so she could close herself away from the people who tormented her.

He ignored her as he took her arm firmly pulling her into his arms as he carried her back to the bed. She didn't have the strength to fight him as he laid her down on the mattress. She closed her eyes hoping to find escape in sleep but her eyes flew open as she felt the sting of alcohol on the open cut. Lisa tried to pull back but Jackson gripped her arm and finally bandaged the wound. "Why are you helping me? Shouldn't you be pleased at what _Jon_ did to me?" She asked spitefully.

Jackson gazed at her, his expression became hard. "Don't confuse us, Lisa. He maybe my brother but sometimes he fails to exercise proper restraint."

"Oh, is that what you call a psychopath these days. A failure to exercise proper restraint." She said sarcastically. "You two deserve each other."

Lisa watched as the muscles in his face tensed. He said nothing to her comment however and walked to the table at the other side of the room where he left her tray. Putting it beside her bed on the night stand, he said "Eat up Leese. If you don't finish, I'll let Jon have another go at 'therapy' while I watch. You don't want to test me." He said warningly before he walked out of the room.

Staring listlessly at the tray, she prodded the food around the plate with the plastic fork he gave her. With sudden determination, she started to put the food in her mouth. She needed the energy to escape this hell. One way or another, Lisa would find a way out even if she had to kill to do so.


	15. Exercising Restraint

As Lisa sat on her bed she contemplated the racing thoughts that were going through her mind. Before her dreaded ordeal with Jackson, she had considered herself somewhat of a meek person, always wishing to please but never giving into the violent impulses that swept through her. They were silent inner voices that berated her, telling her that she allowed the rape to happen and that she asked for that pain.

She had on countless times tried to purge those thoughts which seemed to haunt her. The trial with Jackson had spurned those thoughts into action. She remembered what it was like to feel her hands encased around the gun as she pointed it at him. He had tried to run then and that was when Lisa knew she was ready. She had shot him not caring whether or not she killed him but knowing if she did, she wouldn't feel regret.

He survived and Lisa tried to move on as the thoughts continued to weigh on her. It was only a matter of time before his vendetta against her would take priority. He had allowed things to become personal before. His rage cost him his ongoing attempt to remain level headed and professional. Her life spiraled at that point because she had lost the reassurance that her life would not remain hers to control. The cost of her freedom would be at a price. Although, Lisa couldn't help but wonder if in taking a life would change her in a way where she wouldn't be any better then the perpetrator.

She couldn't continue to let these creeps torment her but when it would end? She couldn't deal with a life of continual nightmares and the thought of looking over her shoulder. As she considered this, Lisa started to hear voices from outside her door. Momentarily intrigued, she got up and pressed her ear against the door hoping to hear the conversation. Distantly, she could hear that Jackson and Crane were in the midst of a contentious argument.

"It cost me a lot to clean up after the mess you made, Jon. Don't make me regret that. You assured me, you could keep yourself under control with her." Jackson was saying.

Crane's voice was in its way, distinctly different from Jackson. Jackson spoke with command while Crane's was chillingly soft. "I never promise Jack. Surely you know that by now. Her therapy requires an unusual course of action in order to acquire the result you desire. Don't pretend you have forgotten my methods."

"You're returning a favor, Jon. I told you to use restraint. She is not one of your patients in Arkham. If you really want someone to practice on, I can always grab Lisa's Dad or Cynthia. I've been meaning to return the courtesy they gave me." Jackson told him harshly.

Lisa gasped, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that wanted to erupt from her throat. "_No, I must warn them."_ She thought as she listened to Crane's reply.

"Perhaps. I'm very intrigued with Lisa Reisert however. You're the one who told me to oversee her care. I'm too deeply immersed in her treatment now. I can't just allow my attention to stray from one patient to another based on a whim."

"Don't forget what I am or what I do for a living, Jon. You will act with restraint around Lisa and you will not touch her otherwise but to administer the treatment plan we agreed on. Otherwise, I will see to it that Arkham hears that you are currently in town and believe me, the terror you administered to others won't match what you'll experience inside." Jackson said warningly.

"_In town? That could only mean that we're in Gotham City."_ Lisa said to herself. "_How is that possible? That's clear across the country from Washington." _Shivering, she knew that the fear tonic could have put her in a catatonic state for days. She remembered hearing the victims of Arkham speak on talk shows as they described the horrors they experienced from Crane. Most of them were women who had discussed their ordeal. Some were extremely young, not more then 17 and it was heart wrenching for Lisa to hear.

The sound of footsteps coming toward the door broke Lisa from her internal reverie as she immediately stepped backwards and resumed her stance on the bed. She couldn't let either one of them know that she had overheard them.

She wrapped her arms around her knees, her heart pounding. The door opened and Jackson appeared, walking over to the bed. Initially, he said nothing as he just stood there silently observing her.

"What is it?" Lisa snapped at him.

He paused. "Are you all right?" He asked simply.

Lisa looked up at him at the sheer stupidity of his question. "What do you think, Jack. You allowed Crane to poison and torture me knowing that he gets off on it. So, no Jack, I'm not okay. The only way that will happen is if you would let me go."

Jackson shook his head. "I can't do that, Leese. I still need you."

"Need me? For what? As a pet? Go out and get a dog like a normal person. I'm not property and I'll never belong to you. Sure, you can keep me here but you will never truly have me." She ranted at him.

"Well, a dog wouldn't be as useful to me Lisa. Besides, I know you initially had feelings for me. Don't you remember, Leese? You can't pretend the attraction wasn't mutual." He said as he smiled darkly at her.

"Jack, do you have any clue what it's like to be raped? I had to force myself despite everything inside me telling me to run away, to go and sit at that bar with you. I went to that bar to prove to myself that the rapist didn't have the power over me. I wanted to convince myself that not all guys were complete bastards. Obviously I was mistaken. And you propose this idiotic assumption that I would somehow fall for a guy who systematically kills people without any forethought. I don't fall for sociopaths, Jack. You'll never have me. You'd have to kill me first." She said to him. Lisa felt a momentary sense of pride as Jackson's eyes flashed angrily at her.

Instantly, Jackson moved and tackled her on the bed. Lisa managed to let out a scream before he clamped his hand over her mouth and pinned her wrists over her head. His body was crushing hers as she struggled against him. He dug his knee into her stomach painfully trying to pin her to the mattress. At that moment, the rape came back to her. She flashed back to the parking lot remembering how it felt to be pressed into the pavement while gravel cut into her back as her assailant pinned her to the ground.

"_No! Never again."_ She thought as she desperately took her free leg and with all the force she could muster, tried to push it into his abdomen. He had prepared himself for that attempt and pinned her legs down with his effectively leaving her helpless.

Lifting his hand from her mouth, he whispered into her ear. "I will have you Lisa. Sooner to later, I will have you and you will learn to enjoy it."

Lisa felt bile creep into her throat. She gazed at him, his face only inches from her own. "When hell freezes over." She managed to say.

He slapped her across the face and seized her chin lowering his lips to hers as she tried to twist away from his grasp. His lips found hers as he tried to force entry of his tongue into her mouth. She gagged, feeling dizziness consume her as she tried desperately to breathe against his forced embrace.

A cold voice suddenly resonated from behind them. "Intriguing, Jackson. And you say my methods require restraint."

Jackson lifted off Lisa with surprise and she started to cough as she struggled to take in deep breathes of air. "Jon, what are you doing here?" He asked in a guarded tone.

"Dedication, Jackson. I can't have anything interfering with my treatment plan. Even you." Crane said and suddenly a cloud of white gas enveloped Jackson. Lisa let out a small scream and buried her face into the pillow on the bed so that none of the gas would enter her nostrils.

She heard his screams radiate through her as her panicked mind tried to put it together. Crane had exposed his own brother to the gas. Lisa didn't understand why except that Crane had reached the depth of his sadism and couldn't resist being in control over his domineering twin.

"_I need to get out of here."_ She thought as she threw herself out of bed and tried to race past Crane hoping he would stay preoccupied with Jackson as he wildly clenched his neck making guttural cries in pain. Lisa had almost reached the door when Crane's arms wrapped around her. She screamed as the struggled to break free. Despite his thinner frame, Crane's grasp was like iron. "Shh, Lisa, relax. What kind of doctor would I be if I let you go before your treatment is done? You should be thanking me. After we're finished, you'll understand the very essence of terror and be able to control it just as I do. Isn't that enticing, Lisa? We'll be equals." He said softly in her ear.

Lisa was now desperate to get free as she tried to cry out again hoping that someone outside the house would hear the commotion. She could feel Crane's hand sweep up to her neck brushing aside strands of her hair. His fingers delicately felt alongside her neck coming to rest over one spot where he caressed it in a diffident manor. Suddenly, Lisa jerked as she felt a needle plunge into that spot realizing he had been searching for a vein. Her eyelids became heavy as the drug quickly swept through her and she descended into the darkness of slumber unknowing of what horror's Jonathan Crane had in store for her.


	16. Worst of Two Evils

**This is one of my longer chapters and I want to put in a disclaimer besides the fact that I don't own Jonathan Crane, Jackson Rippner nor any of the original character's from Batman Begins. There is a mention of a character named Jane from another fanfiction story. I don't own her either but it's a great story that you should read. Details are at the bottom of this chapter.**

Distantly, as Lisa came back slowly from the darkness that had seemed to consume her, she heard a dripping sound. It was steady, rapidly progressing causing Lisa to feel a flash of annoyance at the constant, reverberating sound. She opened her eyes slowly to find herself in what appeared to be a basement. She could smell the residue of mold in the dank atmosphere as she saw cracked pipes interlaced throughout the room.

She tried to move only to find herself strapped tightly to a table. Her memory came back in a flash. "_Crane had sprayed that crap on his own brother. Where is Jackson?"_ Lisa thought as she pulled at the straps desperately. "_If I could just get her wrists free…"_ She thought as she pulled against the bindings on her arms feeling the material chafe against her skin.

"Awake, I see." Jonathan Crane's unnerving voice came from her side. Lisa turned her head to him; her eye's widened in fear as she saw him calmly sitting in a chair. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he saw her terror so clearly exposed to him.

"Where am I?" Lisa demanded. "Where is Jackson?" Despite the fact that Jackson filled her with loathing, he at least attempted to keep Crane somehow restrained.

"Jackson is sedated sleeping off the effects of the toxin and I moved the two of us to a place where we could have some privacy. I can't properly function in an environment where I am constantly being interrupted." Crane said, shaking his head with a look of annoyance. "You've never been here, Lisa but to me, this was another home until recently. From here, I controlled this city yet everyone was so quick to admit otherwise. I watched Falcone shrivel in front of me. He often said he owned this town until I tore it from his grasp."

Lisa took in the dismal surroundings. "This is Arkham?" She asked, feeling terror constrict her chest.

Crane looked at her coldly as he got up and opened a briefcase at his side. "This was Arkham. Now, it's a shadow of what it used to be. We are in the basement beneath the facility." He said as he removed some vials of liquid from the case accompanied with syringes. Lisa cringed upon seeing them.

He took a syringe and filled it with an amber fluid. "I'd like to try something, Lisa. Behaviorists often use this method on animals to study the effect of the brain but I think restricting it to that would seriously devalue the positive implications. What different things terrorize you, Lisa?" He asked.

"Burn in hell, you bastard. Like I would ever tell you." She retorted.

He approached her with the needle. "One way or another, I will find out. It would be far easier if you told me." Lisa shook her head refusing to believe him. Either way, he would make her suffer. Crane just wanted her to bend to his will and Lisa could not allow that to happen. She glared at him rebelliously.

"I really hope you don't disappoint me, Lisa. I have been let down so many times before. There was a young woman that I was working with when I was in charge of Arkham by the name of Jane. She had so much potential, Lisa and at just seventeen, she had all your strength and determination. I brought her Arkham to embrace her fear and I came so close several times. She had excelled in my treatment plan despite her resistance and I could taste that terror that I exposed. All she had to do was welcome it." He said in a tone laced with regret.

"What happened to her? What do you mean you brought her here? I thought this place was for the criminally insane?" Lisa said, as she felt disgust creep through her. _"Oh, God, she was only 17 and he put her through the same torment he put me through when all she should have had to worry about is what dress to wear for prom and high school graduation."_ She thought.

"I created the environment of her initial attack which led her to me. I had been watching her for weeks, studying her and I knew I couldn't afford to wait any longer. I contracted with an associate of mine to create a situation where I could enable her to be brought under my care." He said evenly.

"Wait, you had someone attack her and then you committed her for it?" Lisa asked in horror. "You bastard, she was only seventeen and you just totally dismantled her. I remember seeing her on TV months ago. She was practically catatonic." She gazed at him to see if her words at any effect, but he remained unperturbed. "What are you proud of that? Is destroying a child a job well done for you, you sadistic bastard?"

Sighing, he approached her with the needle and gripped her upper arm. "It doesn't matter if I tell my fears or not." Lisa said. "It sure didn't matter to you whether or not Jane told you. You'll continue with your plan regardless. You're a liar and a coward." Her tone echoed with disgust. "What happened to make like this? What happened to both of you? Did one of your parents molest you as a child and you became a sadist just because you felt guilty because you happened to like it?" She spat out.

Crane appeared amused. "I see. You've taken a college psychology class as part of your hotel managerial training and now you think you can classify me. I'm in a league unto myself. You will never hope to know who I am." He said as he inserted the needle into her vein.

"I do know who you are." Lisa said before he dispelled the plunger. "You're pathetic." She spat at him.

"We'll see about that, won't we, Lisa?" Crane said as the medication swam through her body.

Lisa felt like she was floating and she almost thought that she was no longer strapped to the table. She was awake but at the same time in a languid daze where she could no longer control what was going on around her. She felt warmth all around her as if her body was covered with velvety gauze that in turned seemed to wrap its way over her consuming her strength.

She heard a voice that seemed remote and far away yet the soft commands he gave her were ones she could not ignore. Lisa didn't want to fight the voice anymore despite a whisper deep inside telling her that she should. "_The voice is dangerous. Don't let it in."_ A stray thought told her. "_But why? Maybe it won't hurt me anymore."_

Her mind wanted to welcome and trust the soft, caressing tone. She couldn't remember why there was a reason to struggle against it. "Lisa? Can you hear me?" It asked. Lisa answered with barely a whisper. "Yes." She said.

"I want you to show me your memories, Lisa." He said. Lisa in her dream-like state found herself standing in a dark corridor. A massive door was directly in front of her. Behind it, she heard Crane's voice coming through it persuasively asking her to open the door. Her hand instantly went to the knob. She couldn't resist the constant urging, insistent tone. Turning the knob, she opened the door and screamed.

_She was on the plane looking out of the hatch door in which she was horrified to see was open. Several thousand feet below her, she could scarcely see the lights of the cities and towns below her. The air pressure was trying to pull her from the craft and she clung desperately to the side of it with both her hands. Jackson was standing further back watching her struggle, seeming to smile in amusement. "I told you that you might want to buckle up, Lisa." He said sardonically. The gravity was pulling at her, propelling her towards the chasm as Lisa screamed in fear._

_The scene shifted as she felt once again the hot pavement pressing into her back and the knife digging into her throat as the rapist once against started to tear at her clothes. "Please!" She begged. "Don't do this."_

"_Don't do this." She was back on the plane seated next to Jackson as he held the air phone out to her expectantly. He wanted her soul once again. Hadn't she already given him that? "No." Lisa said as she put her head into her hands. _

_Jackson grabbed her wrist pulling her towards him. "Then everyone you love will suffer unbelievable torment and pain. Do you want to see that Lisa?" To Lisa's horror, the plane vanished as she was inside her house watching Jackson stand next to her father and Cynthia who were bound to different chairs. "Who should I start with first, Leese?" He asked menacingly. "It is your choice and you can only pick one. Who deserves to live and who deserves to die?" _

_He walked over to Cynthia letting the knife graze her neck as Cynthia let out a cry in terror. "Please Lisa. Don't let him do this to me." She begged, tears springing from her eyes. Lisa tried to move forward to fight him but her body was paralyzed, rooted in the spot where she stood as she was forced to watch helplessly as Jackson proceeded to her father. The knife dug into Joe Reisert's face and blood streamed from the wound. "Lisa, you have to help me!" His voice insisted._

_Jackson's face looked at her malevolently. "You have to choose Lisa. Make that decision. Who dies and who lives?" _

_Lisa shook her head. "I can't!" She managed to cry out._

_He smirked. "Then they both die. It's that simple Leese." _

_She struggled to regain control of her body and tried to move. She let out a cry of frustration. Standing there, forced to look at the empty depths of Jackson's eyes he started to dig his knife into Cynthia's neck. "Time's up, Lisa. I get to kill them both and I'll enjoy it. They'll go insane long before they die." He said._

"_No, wait, Jackson. Please!" Lisa begged him. _

_Jackson paused and looked at her. "Please what, Leese? Make your decision or watch them both take their last breaths. It's that simple."_

_Lisa's eyes strayed back and forth between Cynthia and her father. Finally, she glanced up at Jackson, feeling humiliation sweep through her. She had no way out. She had to choose. "My father." She muttered resignedly. "I can't let him die."_

_She tried to close her eyes so she wouldn't have to see Cynthia's horrified face but her eyelid's were forced open by some unseen force as she saw Jackson brutally dug his knife into Cynthia's throat forcing her head back as her screams cut through the air becoming muffled as she gagged on her own blood._

"_Oh God, what have I done?" Lisa asked herself. She was finally free of the temporary paralysis and she ran forward to Cynthia, who gazed at her with sightless eyes, her throat cut open as blood still streamed from the wound. Lisa wept as she put her arms around her dead friend. "I'm so sorry, Cynthia. I didn't know what else to do. I'm so sorry." She cried._

_She felt her arms being gripped as she was pulled off Cynthia and engulfed in an unwanted embrace. "You're mine." A voice whispered as cold hands caressed the bare skin of her arms. Lisa struggled against the grip but it was futile as she was pushed against a wall and was turned to face her attacker. Jackson's face seemed to melt and reform as Crane's face took its place. "You've made your choice Lisa. You belong to me now."_

_Lisa screamed as the scene started to dissolve.._

Lisa's mind broke free from the surreal nightmare as she realized she was still in the basement. The straps were taken off but she felt arms around her as Crane's face came into view. "No, get off me." She said violently as she fought against him.

His grip only tightened around her. "Relax, Lisa. You're mine now. I've absorbed your fears and you are so close to learning the true power of the mind's will over the body. You never belonged to Jackson. He could never understand or appreciate all your potential."

She started to weep as she recalled the horror's he had put her through in that horrid rendition of hypnosis and her humiliation caused her to break down as she collapsed off the table onto the basement floor. Crane's grip seemed to soften as he pressed her to him, gently stroking her hair that was damp from perspiration.

"Shh, Lisa. Soon, I'll have that power in the city once again and we'll relish living off the fear of others. They will come to live in that terror that you know both us have experienced in our lives. We are truly inseparable, aren't we?" He asked gently, his mouth against her ear.

Slowly, Lisa pulled herself away from Crane so she could look into his pale, blue eyes that seemed empty of any trace of compassion or love. They were soulless, evil and all encompassing.

He had forced her to make an impossible choice and took her to experience the depths of insanity he faced everyday. "You're just like me." He was whispering to her.

In that moment, she snapped back to reality. Using all her force, she bashed her head against his and watched him collapse on the cold cement floor. "I'm nothing like you; you sadistic bastard." She cried out and ran for the stairs leading out of the basement.

She found herself in a darkened hallway and noticed an elevator to the side and the stairs at the end of the corridor. Not trusting the elevator, she dashed for the stairs, jogging up them two at a time until she came to the lobby floor. Bursting through the door, the receptionist and other people who filled the room looked at the panic-stricken woman that emerged in surprise.

Lisa stared at them for a moment and ran for the exit as she sprinted down the sidewalk away from institution. Dirty, unkempt streets filled her vision as she continued her pace filled with panic by the disturbed faces she saw passing by her on the street.

"Lisa…" She heard from behind her. Instinctively, she turned to see Crane only twenty feet away. "It's too late, Lisa. You belong to me." He was gaining on her.

She screamed as she dashed into the street eager to put distance between herself and the nightmarish presence of the man behind her. As she bolted into the street, she heard the terrible screeching sound of brakes as a massive, black car loomed in front of her. In slow motion she saw that the strange vehicle was unable to stop in time. Lisa was knocked from her feet as she felt her body collide with the pavement.

She moaned as she laid on the ground trying to look through her blurred vision, fighting the wave of darkness that was trying to drag her into back into an induced slumber. A figure completely covered in black became visible completely filling her vision. "No, I can't let Crane take me again." She whispered as she tried to move.

Gentle hands pressed down on her as she struggled to break fee. "It's all right." She heard. "You're safe now." The unfamiliar voice resounded through her sounding low and almost gruff at the same time.

"No, never safe. He'll find me. They'll always find me." She managed to mutter softly. Lisa panicked and not knowing who the figure was. "_What if he's with them?"_ She thought. "I can't see you." Lisa said as her vision became increasingly distorted.

Arms went under her and encircled her body and she weakly tried to fight the grip the stranger had on her. She felt herself being lifted up and carried as her struggles against the figure went all but ignored. "Relax. I won't hurt you." She heard him whisper.

Lisa could no longer cling to consciousness as she felt herself plummet into the murky depths of sleep she had fought so hard to avoid.

**The reference to Jane in my story is from another fan fiction called Lucid Dreamer from the author NotHuman which took place prior to Gotham being gassed. It's a story I highly recommend for the Jonathan Crane fans out there but it is rather dark. **


	17. Weary of Strangers

_Lisa was in a world that didn't make sense. She was running down the sidewalk to get away from Jonathan Crane. She could hear his soft, icy voice behind her and she tried to propel her legs to go faster. Rounding a corridor, arms suddenly seized her as she looked up into Jackson's face. "No, get off me!" She cried out struggling to get out of his grasp._

_Suddenly, it was no longer Jackson but a looming figure in black. She was lying on a hard table as she saw moving shadows above her head. Lisa heard whispers in the background and she tried to move but her limbs felt heavy. She could not gather the strength to move them. Her vision was out of focus still as she tried to figure out who the terrifying figure was who simply stood at her side._

"_No more, Crane. Please!" She whispered. "Can't choose anymore. I just can't." _

_Lisa wasn't sure if she actually said those words or dreamt them as she spiraled in and out of consciousness. Arms wrapped around her and she tried to scream. She heard a distant murmur in her ear. "Easy, you're safe. Crane isn't here. Just sleep." There was a pinch and sting in the crook of her elbow and for a while, Lisa drifted as she clung to the soothing feeling of floating in the pleasant abyss of slumber._

Lisa awoke slowly to find herself lying in a massive bed as she felt the weight of a soft, feathery, down comforter on top of her. Her eyes finally came back into focus as she found herself in a room that she had never seen before. She struggled to prop herself up on her elbows to try to ascertain her location.

"Where am I?" She whispered. Tall bay windows graced the room against a dark, beige carpet. The furniture despite its classic antique appearance had a distinctly new look which accented the cream colored walls. The entirety of the bedroom had the appearance of wealth and luxury.

"_Who does all this belong too? Am I trapped here?"_ Those thoughts raced through Lisa's head as she struggled into sitting position. She put her hand to her head feeling a peculiar sense like she was still floating. It seemed as if everything was moving in still frames around her. Vaguely she remembered running away from Crane and then there was the horrible screeching sound of brakes as a car had tried to stop. Then she had seen a distorted figure standing beside her. There was no face to him and Lisa was forced to assume that the shadowy figure was merely a hallucination of her overly exhausted mind.

Lisa got out of bed slowly to find that her clothes had been changed from the flannel pants and tank she was wearing that Jackson had given her to a pair of rose colored silk pajama's. She shivered at the thought of someone changing her clothes while she was unconscious.

She walked to the windows slowly looking out to see that night had fallen and the moon gave light to a vast driveway that span out to a secured gate in the distance. It gave her a pang of apprehension seeing forbidding entrance. _"It keeps others out but at the same time traps you inside."_ Yet, Lisa could detect no other security. The gate could possibly be climbed if need be.

She considered breaking the windows since there were no bars that protected them but it was a two story drop to the ground and she still wasn't overly found of heights. "_That would have to be plan B." She_ told herself.

Lisa walked over to the door and as quietly as possible attempted to turn the knob, half expecting it to be locked. To her surprise, she was able to turn it easily and the door opened to a darkened hallway that seemed to span out several yards in both directions. Silence radiated through the corridor as she stepped out timidly onto the embroidered carpet that decorated the floor outside her room.

Turning right, she crept along noiselessly hoping to get to the interior staircase that would allow her a safe route downstairs. She looked in disbelief at the great many paintings and tapestries that adorned the walls. From working in the hotel, she had directed the decoration of several of the luxury suites making certain they had every comfort her distinguished guest would need. However, they could not be compared to the beauty that surrounded her. _"This is more like a museum then an actual house. It's so untouched and almost sterile in a sense." _She thought.

Shaking her head in puzzlement, she quickened her step. Lisa could not afford to stand around admiring the scenery. She had no idea who took her here but she had to leave. In the back of her mind, she recalled a soothing voice telling her that she was safe.

She let out a small, slightly hysterical laugh. "Safe?" She whispered. "If that's the case, I should have been taken to a normal hospital and not to Gotham's version of Buckingham Palace."

"Well, that's a comparison I haven't heard before." An amused voice said from behind her.

Lisa gasped in shock as she whirled around to see a man casually approaching her from the other side of the hallway. He walked purposefully with almost the same innate grace that Jonathan Crane had yet she detected no malice within his warm, hazel eyes which stood out in stark contrast to his dark brown hair. He stood at least a few feet taller then the twins and seemed even more well built then even Jackson's wiry form.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" She demanded.

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, I should be asking you the same question." He said. "What do you remember?" He asked.

"I was running on the sidewalk and he was suddenly right behind me, calling my name. I couldn't go through it anymore. He told me he was going to help me embrace my fear." She said as her voice started to tremble.

"He…you mean Jonathan Crane right?" He asked quietly.

Lisa looked up at him startled. "Yes, how did you know?" She demanded. "I didn't say his name and you knew. He's here isn't he? You're in on this with him." Her heart started to race as she backed away from him. He was a stranger to her after all and strangers in Lisa's mind were deadly.

"No. Wait a second. Calm down, I'm not in on anything with Crane. My name is Bruce Wayne. You might have heard of me." He said, attempting to put a soothing note in his voice as he gazed at the clearly, terrified woman. For a moment, his mind flashed on Rachel that same night Crane's toxin was released. He remembered her trembling as she laid in Arkham's basement, her eyes far away seeing nightmarish images as Crane interrogated her without the slightest mercy as her screams pierced the damp air.

Thankfully Rachel was safe for now but Crane was still out there and Bruce was having a difficult time tracing his location. He knew someone was protecting him and had given him a new identity. Until the day before however, he had no leads until this young woman had mistakenly dashed in front of the black Tumbler he had taken habit to driving when he patrolled at night as Batman. He wasn't able to stop the massive vehicle in time to keep from hitting her although the impact she suffered was not severe. He was already driving slowly through the Narrows and it came as a great sense of relief that she did not appear greatly harmed.

He meant to take her to the local hospital until he could hear her murmuring Crane's name. He found fresh puncture marks on her body from several recent injections. Her attractive face was twisted in fear and pain and Bruce knew that putting her in one of Gotham's overrun hospitals would be a risk. The medical facilities in the city were suffering staff shortages and individuals were still being treated from lingering adverse effects of the toxin that was dumped in the air. The city had been quarantined until they were able to determine that the drug no longer polluted the air. In a hospital, she would be easy prey if Crane decided to take her again using some assumed identity and Bruce couldn't allow a promising lead like her to vanish that easily especially if she could lead him to the sociopathic doctor.

Lisa was still backing away from him. "I don't know you at all." She said vehemently. You could be in on this with Jackson and Crane. Just stay away from me." She said fearfully. Lisa refused to take chances with anyone she didn't know. The last time she had done so at the airport, she had been used as a hostage. _"No more."_ She thought. Turning on her heel, she sprinted down the hallway and to her relief found the stairs.

Hastily, she sprinted to the bottom of the stair case and wrenched open the front door. She was about to run outside when a pair of arms encircled her waist. "No!" She screamed. "Let me go!"

Her cries were ignored as she was forcefully taken back into the house. She fought wildly against the grip which remained firm, but not painfully tight.

"Just relax." Bruce said. "I would never ally myself with a sadist like Crane. After the gas was released, there really isn't anyone here in the city who doesn't know his name." He turned the frightened woman to face him. "Look, I can't just let you go out there. If Crane is back, believe me, he'll find you. At least here, you'll have protection. I have friends in the DA office that can help. Please, just give me a chance."

Lisa's futile attempts to struggle against him gradually seized as she finally relaxed almost leaning against his frame in weary defeat. "The last man whom I gave a chance kidnapped me on an airplane and tried to kill me in my home in a fit of rage. But obviously what choice do I have?" She asked listlessly.

His face filled with confusion. "You said before Crane was chasing you. Did he kidnap you on an airplane as well?" He asked.

She grimaced. "No. It's a long story." Lisa muttered bitterly.

Gently taking her arm, he led her to the library where he beckoned to her to sit in one of the several inviting cushioned easy chairs. "I'm always in the mood for a good story. I know you don't know me but I am a good listener if you want to tell me about it. I just want to help you." He said gently, sitting in the chair across from her. "First off, what is your name? I honestly don't know." Bruce said.

"Lisa." She said softly. "Lisa Reisert."

He clasped her hand in his. "I'm really glad to meet you, Lisa." Despite all of Lisa's past instincts that warned her that all men were dangerous despite how they appeared on the outside, she felt strangely soothed by Bruce's presence. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in several years before the rapist and Jackson had entered her life. "_Maybe he can help me._" She thought as she gazed at him. "_Besides, what more do I have to lose? I'm essentially stuck here." _She told herself.

Taking a deep breath, she started relaying to Bruce the terrors she had survived spanning across the past several years.


	18. Releasing Inner Darkness

_Lisa's eyes fluttered open as she felt a cool draft of wind come into her room and she pulled the comforter up to her neck. "I don't remember the window being open." She thought as she looked to the two bay windows at the side of her room. _

_She realized suddenly that that the glass of the window was shattered and terror coursed through her as she saw two lurking figures in her room. _

_Jackson Rippner became visible as he crossed the room to her. "Did you think you get away from me that easily, Leese?" He asked menacingly as she tried to pull herself off the bed away from him. He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the mattress. "You belong to me." _

_She struggled to breathe against him and she moaned when she saw Jonathan Crane emerging from the shadows in the back of the room. His hands clasped in front of him as he gazed at her coldly, giving her a faint smile that didn't touch his steely, blue eyes. "Did you believe we were finished, Lisa?" He raised his arm to reveal the metal canister he was carrying. "I will always find you. You cannot hide yourself from me."_

_Lisa managed to pull her neck out of Jackson's grip as she saw Crane approach the other side of her bed. There was no where to go and as he was about to dispel the contents of the canister, she started to scream._

"Lisa, wake up." A voice said insistently. Someone was shaking Lisa and the images of Jackson and Crane started to fade. Lisa bolted up in bed violently to see only Bruce's concerned face in front of her. She looked past him at the ominous shadows in the back of the room but as he turned on the lamp on her bedside table, they dissipated showing only the paintings that adorned the back wall.

Lisa shivered as she turned to Bruce. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" She asked regretfully. Hours ago she had attempted to dispassionately relay to him the horrors of the last few years. Somehow, she had thought if she kept her emotions separate from her account, the events wouldn't replay themselves in her mind.

She didn't recall the accident specifically which lead her to be in Bruce's home. Only brief images that flashed across her mind about a figure in black and sharp pain that had cut through her when she was lying on the cement. He had explained to her that she had been in an altered state of consciousness after the impact and that combined with Crane's toxin would indeed cause some hallucinatory effects.

"A doctor who is a friend of mine ran some tests while you were unconcious just so we could make sure there was no critical damage. He'll be back later today to check in on you and let us know what drug was in your system." Bruce had said.

After waking up from the nightmare, she felt angry that she was unable to control the dreams that still haunted her each night while her guard was down. She rubbed her eyes with one hand and sighed in anguish. _Is it always going to be like this? Even when Jackson and Crane are found? _

Bruce shook his head in response to her previous question about her waking him up. "I'm an early riser or a friend of mine likes to say that I am typically burning the candle at both ends."

A headache started to pulse through Lisa's temple and her hand drifted up to her forehead to rub the aching area. It brought little relief. She closed her eyes hoping the pain would recede.

"Bad headache?" He asked. Lisa nodded as she reopened her eyes. Suddenly, she let out a shriek as she spotted something black crawling across her lap. A spider was on her leg crawling up the silk of the pajamas to get into contact with her skin. She jerked backwards hoping to get the spider to fall off only the arachnid seemed to cling to her as four other spiders joined the original one.

"Oh God, get it off." She cried out trying to brush them off her body. She leaped off the bed tearing at her clothes desperate to rid herself of the terrifying creatures.

Bruce ran over to her and grabbed her thin shoulders. "What is it Lisa? There is nothing there." He said, as he tried to calm her down. "Lisa, just close your eyes and take a deep breath. There are no spiders."

His voice traversed her mind and even though her first instinct was to fight against his grip, she took a deep breath and struggled within herself to relax. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten and breathing deeply she opened them. The spiders had disappeared.

"What's wrong with me?" She asked as she collapsed into a chair beside her bed shaking from the experience.

Bruce shook his head. "I don't know. But I intend to find out. Wayne Enterprises was the first to develop the antidote to the original toxin of Crane's. But since it was released in the air and we have inoculated mostly everyone in the city, we've speculated that he must of strengthened or made a different kind that would be effective to even those who are now immune to the original. Your blood work will be able to help us pinpoint the new chemical agent he's been using."

Nodding, Lisa said, "I know he has an antidote to it however. He said that he wouldn't make that mistake of not being prepared if somebody used it on him. Crane didn't give it to Jackson though believe it or not. I guess blood isn't thicker then water. At least, not to him. But then again, Jackson probably deserved it." She said bitterly. "I wish I killed him when I had the chance."

"Why didn't you?" He asked softly.

"At the time, I just couldn't. He was lying bleeding and helpless on my floor and I had the gun in my hand. He was looking at me with such surety and rage that I thought it was a better punishment if he survived to go to prison knowing that I had beat him and that he didn't control me. Also, I just didn't want to have his blood on my hands. I'd be a killer and that would make me just like him. I couldn't allow that. I was foolish. The next time our paths cross, if I get the chance, I won't hesitate." She said.

"You don't think he deserves justice for his crimes?" Bruce asked.

"No offense, but you have no idea what I've been through. He threatened to kill my father to coerce me into helping him with an assassination plot. He purposely attempted to drive me crazy so that I would look mentally unstable to my own family. He assumed the identity of the son of a senator so that he would be a position to advance politically. He tricked me into believing that even though every part of me screamed that he was lying. He and his brother kidnapped me and constantly drugged me in the hopes of breaking me. I could heard them fighting outside the door because Crane got carried away in his supposed "treatment". I've been living in hell for the past two years, Bruce." She said her voice shook as put her head in her hands to hide the tears she had kept restrained for so long.

The memories which she had tried to bury within her came to the forefront of her mind. It was an assault of constant agony as she remembered each brutal moment. _I can't do this. I have to push it away. Please stop._ Her internal pleas to her brain went ignored as she was unable to cease the images that wreaked havoc on her. Tears started to slip from her eyes and she fought to regain control of herself so Bruce would not see that weakness within her. Putting her head into her hands, she frantically tried to regain control of the emotions threatening to break free from the formidable barrier she had always tried to keep intact.

He gently put his arms around her gathering her against his chest as if Lisa was a small child. At first Lisa tried to pull away but Bruce's grip remained firm as she started to release the cascade of repressed anguish she felt. "Don't try to bury the memories, Lisa. Just let them out." He whispered as she wept against him. "You'll never move on until you do. The bitterness will destroy you and I do know a thing or two about that. You can trust me."

Bruce stroked her hair as the last trembling sob emerged from her throat and then in silence they sat together, still clinging to each other, recognizing the darkness that resided in both of their souls.


	19. Revelation

Jackson Rippner was driving down the streets of Gotham City's Narrows District, his jaw clenched as he seethed in anger. _When I get my hands on him, I'll kill the bastard._ In a way, Jackson blamed himself for not paying closer attention to Jon's sadistic need to see the fear and pain in others.

When Jon was a teenager, Jackson had caught him injecting an exorbitant about LSD into the waiting arm of a bully who had unwisely chosen to pick on him due to his small stature at school. Jon had carefully obtained the illegal drug and laid in wait for him as the bigger boy had made his way home. According to Jon, he had surprised him by knocking him out with a heavy metal pipe which he had obtained from the tool shed in the twin's backyard. Jackson had just been walking home as he saw his twin inject the substance into the kid's arm.

"_What the hell are you doing, Jon?" He asked him. _

"_Studying, Jack. I wanted to know what would happen." Jon's cold reply came as he looked up at Jackson with a remorseless look. The boy had suddenly opened his eyes and his hands started scratching at his body, his mouth open and he started to scream. Jon's face lit up in anticipation as he watched the bully struggle with whatever demons tormented him._

"_Shit." Jackson said, knowing full well what he had to do. He picked up the pipe laying by Jon's side and rammed it into the boy's skull. The sickening sound of the boy's skull breaking seemed to pierce the air. _

_Jon had looked at the body of the boy after it had collapsed on the ground with indifference. "You're always spoiling my fun. I wanted to play with him some more. It's the only way I can possibly learn, Jack."_

_Jackson tossed him the pipe. "Clean this up, Jon and don't let me catch you at this again. Since Mom and Dad are gone, I can't always be around to cover you."_

"_Yes, Jack and whose fault is that?" Jon asked him, casting him a faint grin._

Jackson had to find him before what he did to Lisa was irreversible. She was entirely essential to his plans. He sighed in frustration. Things had gotten out of hand and now he had no idea where Jon would have taken her. Jackson should have seen the signs of his growing obsession with Lisa. Of course, Jon didn't love her. Like Jackson, Jon was incapable of feeling love. But he only had to look at her to know that he wanted her for himself.

_That's not going to happen. Lisa is mine by right. I put in the hours into following her and I know her better then she knows herself. _ The only thing that separated Jackson from the cold, sadistic nature of his brother was the traces of compassion Jackson was capable of feeling. He remembered that sensation that Lisa evoked from him on the flight and he knew that he had to have her. Very few people had given him the feelings that Lisa did. Even when she enraged him, he relished his anger and used it. It mattered to him very little what she felt about the matter. He didn't care about the fact that Lisa didn't love him or desire him in return. Typically, Jackson viewed women as simply a source to be used and discarded. Yet, Lisa was so vibrant to Jackson and she was the one who unintentionally woke a part of him that he didn't know existed. For certain brief moments, Jackson had felt alive.

_Damn it! Where are you, Jon? _Jackson had pulled over his car and stepped out, walking along the streets surrounding Arkham Asylum. Currently, the facility was being used as a general hospital to treat everyone who had been affected by Jon's toxin. With the other hospitals overflowing with patients, other victims had been taken here. Walking into the lobby, dozens of people crowded around the already, overworked receptionists who tried to create a waiting list and reassure them that they would be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.

He casually glanced around looking for an elevator when his eye caught a newspaper stand in the corner by the gift shop. A tabloid that on the same page boldly stated that aliens were controlling the present government also showed a picture of a young woman laying on cement somewhere in the Narrows. He picked it up instantly recognizing Lisa's face. Towering over her was the City's famous vigilante, Batman. Jackson shook his head in disgust. Reading the article, all he could determine was that the creep had run her down and then made off with her. "Damn it." He muttered. "Just what I need. Now, I have to find a guy who has some enormous bat fetish and chooses to wear a mask. My day can't get any worse."

"Well, it's not as bad as all that, Jack. I happen to be privy to Batman's identity." Came a familiar cold voice behind him.

Instantly, Jackson turned around and grabbed Jonathan Crane by the throat shoving him into the nearby men's restroom. "Just give me a reason that I shouldn't break your damn neck, Jon." He said. His grip tightened around his neck and Jon struggled to speak. "I can help you find her, Jack." He managed to whisper.

"You used your toxin on me, Jon. Why the hell should I believe anything you say?" Jackson asked. Jon only managed to smile but remained silent unable to speak from the pressure on his throat. Finally, Jackson relinquished his grip and punched him hard across the face. He heard a crunch as his fist made contact with Jon's nose, effectively breaking it in hopes of Jon making some kind of noise in protest or pain. Jon only smirked chillingly at him as blood seeped from it. He took a white piece of cloth from his coat pocket and mopped up some of the blood, keeping it from falling on his immaculate white shirt.

"Because, Lisa will come to us, Jack. Not the other way around. The toxin I injected her with will destroy her mind within a week if she doesn't return. I'm the only one with the antidote and trust me, it will take weeks for a doctor to derive a similar antigen. She's ours, Jack." Jon said. "She just doesn't know it yet."

"Let's get one thing straight, Jon. She belongs to me." Jackson said. "I've given you every chance to pretend your human. You know this isn't a game for me. I need her to come back to Homeland Security in one piece. If she doesn't, I'll tear you to pieces. And do not think you can use that toxin of yours on me again. I searched the house and found the most recent inoculations that you were so hasty to leave behind. I'm just as immune now as you are. You keep your hands off her unless I am present."

"I couldn't have a recent traumatic experience of you raping her interfering with my experiment, Jackson. That's the only reason I did what I did." Jon replied without emotion.

"Jon, rape is beneath me and you know that. However, I must use various means to show Lisa who is in control. Once we have her back, we do this as planned or there will be no second chances for you Jon, agreed? Jackson asked menacingly.

Jon held out his hand rigidly to shake Jackson's and he suddenly felt confident. Lisa would return and although they were behind schedule, he anticipated the moment when he could finally break her. Then Lisa would truly be his.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wait, what do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Lisa asked in shock. Lucius Fox gave Bruce and Lisa a look of pity as he glanced back down at the report.

"Miss Reisert, there isn't anything that I would love more then to be able to find an antigen for this drug in time but it will take weeks for me to break down a chemical this complex and prepare an antidote. You simply don't have that time. The drug Jonathan Crane gave you is aggressively going to start destroying your neural synapses. In laymen's terms, in a week, it will start causing massive amounts of brain damage. It is essential that we find Crane because he was always meticulous. He will have prepared an antidote. It's simply his nature." He said gently.

"I can't..." Lisa said, as she put her face in her hands. A wave of dizziness swept through her. "I can't face him again."

"You won't have to, Lisa." Bruce said as he gently put his arm around her. "I have an inordinate amount of resources at my disposal. I'll have Crane found. He's in this city and trust me Lisa. He can't hide from me here for long. I'll turn the city upside down."

"You'll never find him within a week." Lisa said as she turned to look at him. "He did this purposefully. He wants me to come back to him and beg him for a cure. It's that choice again that he forced me to see. The choice between two evils. Either I die or come back simply to be tormented again." Lisa closed her eyes as she tried to think.

Bruce glanced up at Lucius. "Thanks, Lucius. If you can try to..." His voice trailed off.

Lucius looked at the pair with a gaze of infinite sadness. "I'll do whatever I can." He said simply. Handing a bag to Bruce, he whispered, "Her medication. It may help slow down the damage. Make sure she takes one after every meal. Call me if she gets worse."

Lisa had heard every word Lucius had said and she shivered involuntarily. Whatever fleeting sensation of safety she had felt with Bruce had been vanquished within moments. _What am I going to do?_ She asked herself. _Concede to Crane or die?_ It was a question she didn't yearn to answer.


	20. Letters

Lisa sat in the window seat purposely secluding herself in the room. She so badly wanted to call her father and explain what was happening. To tell him how terrified she was and have him protect her from this fear that was consuming her.

_What would I say?_ She thought. _Hey, Dad, it's me, Lisa. I'm going to die unless I hand myself over to a criminal that we have no idea how to locate. What's new with you?_

She shook her head. "That will go over well." She muttered.

"Did you say something, Miss Reisert?" A dignified voice said from the doorway. Lisa turned around to see Alfred, Bruce's longtime butler coming in with a lunch tray. Alfred seemed to be the only company that Bruce had in the mansion. _How does he keep the whole place clean? Bruce and Alfred don't strike me as the type to break out the mops and take turns washing the floors._

Forcing a smile, she shook her head. "Just talking to myself." She said as he placed the tray on the table. She reluctantly left her perch and walked over to the table. Lisa had no appetite but that was nothing new. For months now, she had used her hunger as shield to bury the constant dread that had persisted within her. It was only until recently that she had made an effort to eat more substantially convinced that the only one that would lose would be her if her body gave out on her from lack of nourishment.

Still, she stirred her soup idly with a spoon as she noticed the tablet that accompanied her lunch tray. _What's the point in taking that? _ _I'm dying but if I turn myself over to Crane then my spirit will be dead anyway._

"I believe you'd find a greater benefit in trying the soup rather then toying with it. Besides, it's my own recipe. I would be greatly hurt if you didn't give it a chance." Alfred said.

Lisa glanced up at him startled and looked back down at the bowl. "I'm sorry. My thoughts were elsewhere. I wasn't aware that you cooked." She said.

"It would be a greater injustice to allow Mr. Wayne into the kitchen. I was once a victim of his experiments in there." He said with amusement in his tone.

She felt a little chilled by the reference to experiments as her thoughts strayed to Crane but she tried to simply let it pass. Alfred seemed to notice the distant look that appeared in her eyes. He attempted to change the subject.

"Are you and Mr. Wayne meeting with Miss Dawes today when he returns?" He asked. Bruce had left that morning after receiving a call about an emergency board meeting that required his attendance. He had promised to return in the afternoon to take her to see his friend, the DA. He had made such an emphasis on the word friend that Lisa couldn't resist teasing him about it.

"_Are you sure she's just a friend. Sounds like it could have been more?" Lisa had asked._

"_There could have been once but it was never the right time for us and eventually the chance we had passed us by."_ _Bruce explained._

Lisa shrugged. "Yes, Bruce thinks that it could help increase the search for Crane so we can get an answer of where he hid the antidote."

"You're not convinced though." Alfred said.

"Alfred, he knows how to blend in and to become invisible. He's a sadistic psychopath but he's also a genius. Only a little over four years did I foolishly believe that the chances of my meeting people like that in the world was incredibly slim. I've been proven wrong twice and I only just recently met Crane. Maybe I'm a magnet for people like them. Frankly I'm not sure how she can help." Lisa stated resignly.

"Has Mr. Wayne told you what Dr. Crane did to Miss Dawes?" Alfred asked.

Lisa looked at him quizzically. "No. I know she had some dealings with him in the past as a DA but that was the limit to what Bruce said about her."

"One night, Miss Dawes received a message regarding a transfer of a prisoner that she had been pursuing for quite sometime. Dr. Crane was still the director of Arkham Asylum and used his authority to transfer him there claiming he had a sudden nervous breakdown. She confronted him about it, accusing Dr. Crane of putting him on drugs that would induce that effect and was about to expose the fact that he was using toxin on the patients in his care. Dr. Crane had managed to trick Rachel into coming downstairs to the basement of Arkham where the toxin was produced." Alfred said as he shook his head.

"Crane gave her a dose of it." Lisa said.

"A near fatal dose. She was extremely lucky to be found in time but she has her own personal reasons for wanting to bring him to justice." He said. Alfred started to leave the room when he paused and turned back to Lisa removing a letter in his pocket.

"I nearly forgot. A letter arrived for you in today's mail. I wasn't aware that any of your relatives had the address." He said handing the envelope to her.

"They don't." Lisa told him as she ripped open the letter. She started to read it and gasped feeling the tight band of anxiety crushing her chest.

_Lisa-_

_Have you missed me in all that time you spent with my brother? I must say that Jon's incompetence has upset me but I can see you wasted no time to take advantage of it._

_Now, you must be aware of the circumstances of your condition. Despite our differences, I have to hand it to Jon to come up with something so creative to ensure your return._

_Leese, you know perfectly well that you have no choice. I expect you to meet me at 1:00 PM tomorrow in front of the asylum alone. If you choose to disregard this instruction, I will have my contacts that are closely monitoring Cynthia, your father and your mother terminate them instantly. Then, I will be forced to pay you a visit myself and believe me; your bat obsessed friend won't be able to help you._

_Remember in business, I never lie Lisa._

_JR_

Lisa nearly dropped the letter as she felt nausea clench her stomach. Alfred noticed how she suddenly went pale as she read the letter and started to come forward. "Is something wrong?" He asked gently.

"No." Lisa stuttered. "I, um, just got some bad news from home but it's okay."

Alfred raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

Dimly in Lisa's mind she was reminded of her father when he persistently asked that question. _Maybe he knows what a horrible liar I am._ "Yes, Alfred. I'm sorry. I need to take a walk." She clenched the letter in her sweaty palm as she darted past him heading downstairs to the garden outside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beyond the gate, Jackson watched Lisa as she ran outside and heard her frustrated screams rent the air. He smiled complacently. "It seems she got my little note." He said to himself. He lowered the binoculars as Lisa started to weep. "Always with the tears." Jackson said. "But they won't help you this time, Leese."


	21. Connection

"I'll kill you." She muttered to the empty air as she sat on the cold stone bench in the garden behind Wayne Manor. Her trembling fingers tore the letter in halves and then in fourths as she tossed them in anger into the air. The wind scattered them across the well manicured lawn.

Her rage had caused a wave of bitterness to well up in her chest. She remembered briefly Bruce speaking of justice not being about vendettas due to past crimes but in that moment, the loathing she harbored in her heart overwhelmed any rational thought.

_If Jackson wants me so badly, then he can have me and everything that comes with it._ She decided she would somehow go and meet him alone and once and for all, end this living nightmare. Lisa was going to be prepared this time. She'd be damned if she would just hand herself over like a little sheep waiting for the slaughter.

It amazed her that Jackson so readily forgave his brother for his past indiscretion. _Forgiveness is probably not even the word. Jackson's not capable of having feelings so what is there to forgive?_ She asked herself.

Walking back into the manor, she paused in the entry hall momentarily fascinated by the Grand piano she saw in the small room which contained the liquor cabinet and wet bar. She smiled in spite of herself as she recalled the piano lessons she took for years throughout grammar and high school and the enjoyment she used to derive from that simple pleasure.

Sitting down at the piano, she saw a small layer of dust on the surface. _The piano probably hasn't been tuned for years._ She thought as she started to test out random keys to assure that the sound they were emitting was correct. As she tested the different notes, a sudden noise caught her attention as the shelf where the beverages were kept, opened to reveal a darkened corridor inside.

The piano momentarily forgotten, Lisa got up to investigate the oddity. _Hidden passages? But the house is brand new! I thought hidden passages were done away with in the 19th century._ Stepping timidly into the hidden chamber, she carefully proceeded the short distance and was startled to see a metal elevator secured to the bar above by sturdy chains. She peeked down below to see if she could get a glimpse of what was waiting in those depths. Seeing virtually nothing, curiosity got the better of her and she stepped into the elevator. _Well, this is what Bruce gets when he goes out on urgent business and leaves me here to explore._ She thought.

Pulling a lever, she clung to the outer cage as she descended to the bottom of the shaft. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ She told herself grimly as she tried to hold on to both sides as the squealing elevator finally hit bottom. Shakily, Lisa stepped out and emerged to find to her astonishment that she was in some kind of limestone cave that had been hollowed out in places to support the vehicle that she had convinced herself was a hallucination as well as what appeared to her as some sort of elaborate bat costume. "What the hell?" She muttered as she reached forward to touch the surface of the outfit. It felt similar in some ways to one of those bullet proof vests but much sturdier.

She shook her head in confusion as she walked to the vehicle which appeared to her as a cross between a sports car and a tank. Looking around her, she heard rustling sounds in the darkness and something flew across her vision. She let off a small yelp and jumped backwards in alarm. _A bat?_ She thought. The words of Jackson's letter started to enter her mind. _"Your bat obsessed friend won't be able to help you."_

"Oh my God." She said out loud nearly choking on the words. "Everyone in Gotham City is insane. What the hell would a billionaire need with all this? Is this where he gets his thrills after being cooped up for too long?"

Suddenly, she recalled the news report when Crane's toxin had become airborne and that some vigilante dressed up like a bat had managed to disable the monorail so that the toxin wouldn't poison the rest of the city. Lisa had thought it to be a joke at the time but as she looked around the cave, she wasn't so sure.

Her head started to pound and she decided enough was enough. Whatever Bruce decided to do in his spare time was fine. It didn't matter much anyway as she wouldn't be here tomorrow to debate the matter. She quickly made her way back to the elevator when suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder.

Lisa gasped and pulled away, turning around to see Bruce standing there with the pieces of her letter she had carelessly tossed on the ground. "Going somewhere Lisa?" He asked congenially.

"I…." Lisa started. She closed her eyes berating herself for being so foolish to leave the pieces of that incriminating note in plain site.

"Alfred called me when he heard you screaming in the backyard and he told me you received a letter today which you reacted quite strongly too. The fact that you have not called me in all this time implies that either you don't trust me or don't wish to get me involved. Then, I happen to find you here. Obviously, I'll be forced to trust you with one of my darker secrets but I wish you could trust me with yours." He said evenly.

"Bruce, I wasn't snooping if that's what you think. I just was sitting down at the piano thinking it would be a way to relieve my anxiety…" She said as her words trailed off.

"And you decided cave spelunking would be a lot more fun?" He asked.

Blushing furiously from embarrassment, she said, "No, I was angry, Bruce. I only wanted to distract myself if just for a moment."

"And what about this?" He said, holding up the letter.

"I don't want to get anyone else involved. Especially you, Bruce. You hardly know me. I couldn't stand to see you get hurt by either one of them." She said. "I'm already so messed up. Plus, if Jackson has his way, he'll take me. I'll never see you again. What's the point in hoping for something in which fate conspires against? It's an act of complete futility." Lisa said listlessly. "Then, I find all this. Whatever it is to you Bruce, so be it. Your secret is safe with me. Probably more so with me then anyone else." She tried to move past him to the elevator.

He seized her hand firmly pulling her back as he gently put his arms around her. Lisa instinctively tried to resist his hold. "Lisa, I'm not going to hurt you. You know that about me. I'm not Jackson or Crane. I can help get you through this."

She sighed shaking her head. "Even if I can get the antidote from Crane without them taking me, Jackson will get to me eventually. It's only a matter of time. If not him, then Crane and I know, given the chance, if I resist, he will kill me and not give it a second thought. I can't risk your life and the lives of my family. Bruce, I barely just met you and already I care too much to see anything happen to you." She protested. Again, she tried to break away from him. However she felt reluctant to leave his embrace as it felt reassuring to her.

He refused to release her. "When we talked last night, I felt a connection between us. There was a spark there, Lisa. Our pasts have both been tainted pretty badly that we have come to expect those similar patterns to continue. But, it can't go on that way, Lisa. Why not give this feeling between us a chance to develop?"

Lisa turned to face him, feeling the conflict of emotions surge through her. The last time she had felt something for a man, he had betrayed her and used her to his own benefit. Now, she was being asked to take that same chance which she had sworn internally never to do. She had thought she would simply be content with never having a relationship, never taking that risk so any danger that a relationship could potentially bring would be avoided.

Looking up into his warm, hazel eyes, she started to say, "I don't know…" And then his lips were suddenly pressed against hers. Lisa was startled initially by the sudden kiss as she remembered the last one Jackson had forced upon her. But this was so different. There was no anger, malice or simple brutal lust. Bruce was gentle but persistent as his arms went around her back to press her to him and finally, Lisa couldn't help but return the kiss. She was swept away in that moment by the wave of emotions that consumed her. It was a time of indescribable joy and she felt released from all the years of constant repression and fear. Her arms went up around his neck and in that moment of their first embrace, Lisa finally felt free.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**This may seem quick but well, my experience with romance and things of that nature have been kind of nil. Although I have had connections with people that I meet which occur right away so for that, I drew on my experiences. **


	22. Night Visitors

As Bruce and Lisa finally emerged out of the cave and ascended up the elevator to go through the hidden door, his arm was around her caressing the bare skin of her shoulder sending shivers through her.

If someone had told her last year she would feel any kind of attraction to a man, Lisa would have given into a fit of laughter from the sheer impossibility of the situation. Now what she had considered inconceivable was a reality. The spark she had felt with Bruce seemed to grow even during this time where her darkest trial lay before her.

She was still relatively uncertain about her feelings of Bruce as some sort of vigilante, prowling the streets in search of crime. Lisa had voiced her concerns to him.

"_Why seek out crime Bruce? It seems to have no problems finding us without us searching for it." She said._

"_Lisa, I do it for my parents. Their death was a catalyst to shake people out of apathy. Why is it we need such extreme examples to help people rise above their fear? You rose above it rather then just giving in when you were on that flight." He responded._

"_I was scared to death, Bruce. I had given in initially but then the cost became too high." She murmured._

"_Courage isn't the absence of fear but your willingness to ascend above it. I want to encourage others to do the same." He said._

It would take time for Lisa to feel comfortable being more intimate with Bruce. Of course, there was an initial attraction that they both shared but the boundaries Lisa had set up in her life over the past four years couldn't come down in the process of a day. Back in the cave, when Bruce had tried to deepen the embrace, she had pushed him back gently.

"_I'm sorry." She said, looking down at her feet. Lisa had been repressed for so long that intimacy of any level was considerably a new experience for her. "I just don't think I'm read quite yet."_

_She could detect traces of disappointment in Bruce's eyes even when he tried to suppress it. "It's all right Lisa. We won't do anything until you're ready." He said encouragingly._

Alfred had greeted them after they had exited the secret corridor. "Mr. Wayne, Miss Dawes is waiting in the library." His face seemed to belie little concern regarding Lisa's past ventures.

"Thanks Alfred." Bruce said as they walked past him to where Rachel was waiting. Lisa's face betrayed her surprise to see that this young, attractive woman had such a prominent post. _She can't be much older then I am._ She thought. Despite her youthful features, Rachel exuded professionalism as she stood up and shook Lisa's hand firmly.

Upon them sitting down, Lisa shook her head. _No wonder Bruce had feelings for her._ Rachel's long brown hair was pinned up and her dark suit did nothing to hide her trim figure. Her brown eyes looked at Lisa with curiosity and compassion as Lisa relayed the story of her past struggle with Jackson leading up to Crane's arrival.

"I followed up on Crane's alias at the medical facility in Washington DC. He hasn't been there since the day Lisa disappeared from the hospital. He called only to say he was taking an emergency leave to be with his family." Rachel explained.

"Weren't they suspicious at all when I disappeared?" Lisa asked.

Rachel sighed. "They thought you ran away and Crane supported the story. The staff waited to file a missing person's report due to the fact that you were an adult and they technically didn't have a court order to hold you there. The police won't start a search unless you've been missing for two days. Your father returned to Miami in hopes you would show up there. He filed a report within 48 hours after your departure. Of course, the police didn't look into it right away because it simply didn't rank as high on their priorities as homicides and other crimes."

"So what happens now, Rachel?" Bruce asked. "With the letter that Lisa received and her condition, the need to find Crane is more urgent."

"I know that, Bruce. The letter was hand delivered with no fingers prints or a postmark. Obviously this Jackson character can cover his tracks well. I have already called and informed the hospital where Lisa stayed about Crane's true identity so security is alert to detain him if he ever goes back there. However, I doubt he will. I think he's here in Gotham and I am having the police tear apart the city looking for the two of them. I think our best shot though of getting a lead and antidote is to have Lisa show up for the meeting with Jackson tomorrow." Rachel said.

Lisa nodded in understanding. There was no other choice and despite the fact that she loathed the idea of playing bait, it was her only chance of freedom and to an actual life liberated from her nightmares of her past.

Bruce interjected. "No, Rachel. I won't agree to using Lisa as bait for those bastards. Jackson will talk to me, I can assure you. I'll force the information out of him."

Lisa put her hand on his arm. "Jackson is not your average criminal, Bruce. He'll know immediately when I'm not there that something is wrong. He's not going to just walk outside and wait patiently by the entrance. If nothing else, he is meticulous. I need to go."

Bruce rubbed his forehead and looked at Rachel. "You'll have backup for her, right Rach? I'll be there but I don't want chances taken with her safety."

"We'll formulate a plan tonight and I'll contact you to discuss….the essential details." Rachel said as she glanced at Lisa wearily.

"She already knows who I am Rachel." He said. "She happened to be exploring and decided to try her hand at some piano. I will have to make the access to the entrance a little more difficult to get into." He said.

Lisa thought she detected a gleam in Rachel's eye she observed Lisa with a gaze of comprehension. "I see." Rachel said. Getting up, she grabbed her purse and briefcase. "I had better get going. I need to meet with the mayor about our progress. I'll call you Bruce when I know more. It was nice to meet you, Lisa." She said as she shook her hand and walked out the door.

Feeling exhausted, Lisa decided to retire to her room to rest. "I think I'll take a nap before dinner." She said wearily as her head started to pound once more. Sighing she massaged her temple.

"Another headache?" Bruce asked, concern radiated in his eyes. "Does the medication help at all?"

She shrugged. "A little bit although it makes me a little drowsy. I'll just sleep it off for a couple hours before dinner."

Lisa carefully made her way back up to her bedroom and changed into a pair of flannel pajamas and an oversized t shirt that Bruce had lent her. She crawled underneath the covers feeling the exquisitely soft mattress beneath her. It felt heavenly to Lisa as she closed her eyes. Sleep claimed her within minutes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

She opened her heavy eyelids to find that her room was blanketed in darkness. Glancing at the window near to her bed, she saw that night had fallen. _How long have I been asleep?_ She asked herself as she glanced at the alarm clock beside her bed. Groaning, she realized it was two in the morning. She had been asleep for a good eight hours and had missed dinner.

Smiling inwardly, Lisa knew Bruce probably decided not to wake her and she wondered if Bruce was out of the house searching the city in the guise of a flying rodent. Yawning, she admitted to herself that she didn't fully understand his need to do this. Hopefully, she would grow to understand it. If there was one thing she did comprehend, it was the need to retaliate against those who simply wanted to make you a victim and not a survivor.

A noise caught her attention. She almost missed it but distinctly, she heard a soft creak. Her heart started to race in reaction to the sound and she tried to calm herself. _I'm just paranoid. Bruce told me that the alarm system is on at night. It's just the house settling._

She had felt comforted by Bruce's explanation of the motion activated security system that surrounded the house immediately alerting him to intruders. The house itself had a similar alarm system that could detect if anyone pried open the lock to the door or broke open a window.

The creaking sound continued and Lisa closed her eyes. _It's a dream. I'm just dreaming._ Despite her reassurances to herself, she decided to get out of bed to investigate the noise. _It's probably just Alfred._ She thought but she wanted to be sure.

Creeping slowly from her room, she quietly proceeded to walk along the corridor outside her bedroom. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Shaking her head, she decided to simply head back to her room and lock the door. Chiding herself for being so jumpy, she headed into the bathroom attached to her bedroom to get a glass of water before going back to bed..

Her hand felt for the light switch when suddenly, her wrist was seized as an arm immediately wrapped around her waist. Lisa tried to scream, only to have her cry muffled as a piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth and another one was tied across her lips to keep the cloth in place. She was dragged backwards and was thrown face down on the bed.

Twisting herself around, she let out a soft moan as her eyes met Jackson's intense blue ones. He smiled darkly at her. "What is it, Leese? Didn't expect to see me so soon?" He approached her as Lisa's fingers flew to the gag trying to pry it out of her mouth. "What can I say? I like the element of surprise." He leaned forward and pinned her wrists against the mattress as she struggled wildly against him. Jackson's face was only inches away from her own. "Have you been having fun with your new boyfriend here, Leese. You know, I didn't think you had it in you to act like another cheap whore but yet here you prove me wrong." His cerulean eyes filled with menace as he released one of her wrists only to let his hand slap her hard across the face.

Lisa's face stung from the blow as she glared at him, her green eyes filled with pain and animosity. She instantly dug her nails into his face trying to reach his eyes in hopes of blinding him. He seized her wrist twisted it back onto the soft mattress.

"What do you say, Lisa? Why not behave for a change and make this easy on yourself." He suggested.

_Like hell I'd make it easy for you, you piece of shit!_ She wanted to say. Instead, she slammed her knee into his crotch causing him to double over in pain, relinquishing the grip her had on her wrists. His body weight collapsed across her legs and Lisa quickly crawled off the bed from underneath him.

_Get up, get up. _Her mind commanded her. She propelled herself off the mattress instantly as Jackson seized her wrist trying to pull her backwards. Her other hand grappled for the lamp on the night table. Her fingers closed around it as she lifted it and swung the heavy object, belting him across his head. He groaned at the sudden impact which caused him to fall back on the bed and Lisa immediately sprinted out the door, downstairs to the keypad that controlled the alarm system.

Her hands flew to the panic button on the alarm system. Pressing it, she realized no sound came out. She slammed her hand in frustration against the keypad but nothing happened. Glancing up at the screen, she realized that the alarm system had been disabled and was completely taken offline._ Damn it! I have to hide._

She could hear Jackson's pounding footsteps behind her and she raced into the room with the bet bar, her fingers immediately pressing on the keys of the piano just as Bruce showed her. The case swung backwards and she jumped inside pulling it closed behind her. Quickly, she tore off the gag and spit the cloth from out of her mouth.

She turned around to head to the elevator when she felt her body collide with someone else's. "Bruce?" Lisa asked hopefully. "Oh God, Bruce is that you?"

Arms suddenly wrapped around her pinning her wrists to her side as she was forced against the wall, the cold cement against her cheek. One hand caressed her neck pushing her hair away as the very voice that filled her with dread whispered into her ear. "Not quite, Lisa but I must you tell you I'm hurt you thought of him instead of me."

"Crane." Lisa murmured, her breath caught in her throat.

"No, Lisa. Not Crane…Scarecrow." He said menacingly as he dug his fingers into her throat. She gasped in pain. "We're going to enjoy ourselves, aren't we? I know, I will."


	23. Shadows of the Mind

Lisa attempted to let out a scream but Jonathan Crane's hand started to squeeze her windpipe turning her cry into a strangled gasp. His body was tightly pressed to hers effectively pinning her face forwards into the wall as his palm drifted upwards underneath her t-shirt, settling on the bare skin of her waist. His lips were on her neck.

_No, not again._ She thought as she tried to push herself off the wall in hopes that he would loosen the grip he had on her. Instead, Crane's hand that was wrapped around her throat, fastened onto her hair as he immediately thrust her head against the unyielding cement surface.

A wave of darkness clouded her vision and Lisa could feel her legs start to go limp. _No, damn it. I will not let him win._ She thought as she struggled to grip onto the thin strands of consciousness. Both his arms encircled her waist, supporting her as he lowered her to the ground. Her body was wracked in tremors as she watched him kneel just above her; his bottomless blue eyes seemed to shimmer with malevolence. He reached down gently stroking her neck, lowering his hand to her scar where the wound he inflicted to the already damaged flesh with his scalpel was till healing. Delicately, he traced it in almost a rhythmic pattern.

"No." Lisa whispered. "Please don't." She couldn't repress the shiver that went through her in response to feeling his hand on her skin.

He bent his face lower to hers. "So afraid, aren't we, Lisa. Are you afraid to die, hmm?" He asked.

She turned away so she could avoid his malicious gaze on her. Crane finger's gripped her chin forcing her face towards him as a syringe came across her field of vision.

"Are you afraid of losing your mind? Of being trapped within your body feeling the excruciating pain as it slowly wastes away. Death would be slow but eventual. However, I could keep you alive indefinitely. Imagine Lisa, spending years as the agony consumes you being unable to move or speak."

Horrified, she could feel her stomach start to heave and she moved her arms to grip her stomach as she sat up bending over to vomit from the sheer disgust of his words. Bile burned her throat yet nothing came out as she started to shake, her hands pressed to her head.

Hands gently gripped her shoulders, stroking her back methodically. "Easy, Lisa." He whispered in her ear. "Of course, that's not what I want."

"What do you want, Crane?" She asked in disgust, finding her voice. "What more could you possibly want from me?"

"You, Lisa. I want to know you. Open your mind to me. I find it far more enthralling then what appears to attract Jackson but what can I say. We have such different tastes." He said as his lips curved into a smile.

"You'll let me die either way, Crane. It doesn't matter what I tell you." She said as tears finally slipped into her vision.

"Now that would be counterproductive to our aims. I want such a small part of you. I'll let my brother have what's left over. You see this, Lisa?" He asked as he brought up the needle. "This is the antidote to the toxin I gave you. One injection and that nightmare can end here. Do you want it?"

The syringe seemed to float in her vision which offered her freedom from the fear of losing control entirely over her body yet it would be like making a deal with the Devil in return for some hold on sanity. Crane wanted her to beg for the cure which he would provide this time in return for the nightmares of all the hell she had experienced and she knew revisiting those lingering shadows would break her, one way or another. But what was the option? A lifetime of suffering entombed within her decaying carcass seemed to be to high a penalty to pay just so she could retain her pride knowing she had said 'no.'

"You give me that and it will stop the toxin?" She asked tentatively.

His eyes lightened up at her seeming consent. "I give you this and you will lapse into a controlled coma for two days where the medication will repair the damage and stop the toxin from entering the bloodstream to your brain. In return I expect unquestioned obedience. Do we have a bargain?" He asked as his twisted smile grew wider. He held out his hand for her to shake.

Lisa turned to look at him gathering the strength inside her. She lifted her hand almost meeting his but instead of enclosing his hand with hers; she used the side of her palm and slammed it against his neck just as she was taught in self defense. Crane uttered a small grunt as he fell against the wall; the syringe fell out of his palm. Quickly, she grabbed the needle and sprinted to the elevator rapidly engaging the lever which pulled the outer cage closed causing it to descend. Looking up, she saw Crane was already on his feet as his fingers grasped the exterior of the outer cage giving her a look of utter rage. She recklessly glared back at him and at the same time, gave him the finger. It was a childish act but she felt a momentary surge of pride.

It was almost reminiscent of when she had beaten Jackson to the tram in the Miami airport after she stabbed him with the pen. They had both stood there glowering at each other. Her, from the tram window and him through the window of the airport watching it depart. _I should of flipped him off then as well. It's not like he could have been more pissed off at me then he already was._ Lisa thought with a tinge of regret.

The elevator reached the bottom of the shaft and she scrambled out, her bare feet sliding on the floor. Her heart sunk when she realized that the massive black car was gone. _Bruce went out searching for them when he didn't have to look any farther then his own backyard._ She thought. She glanced around the cave as she spotted the exit knowing it wasn't meant to be accessed by anything other then that gigantic vehicle. The rocks looked slippery as water rained down from the exterior of the cave. On top of that, she would have crawl across the vast ditch that separated her from the exit.

_Am I really able to do this?_ She asked herself. She could hear angry voices coming from above her and she realized that Jackson and Crane were already in the elevator propelled by the fury she knew they had for her.

She looked at the needle in her hand. It was encased in red plastic and she didn't know how to disengage it properly to use it. _I have to get to a hospital and they can figure it out. _Lisa told herself. Her decision was made for her. She had to try to cut across the chasm to the opening that invitingly beckoned her forward.

Running quickly, she had barely slipped her body into ditch, her feet stumbling on the slippery rocks as she put her hands down to help her crawl across them. At least she was hidden from the view of the two menacing brothers as they exited the elevator.

"Lisa….!" She recognized Jackson's voice from the sheer arrogance that seemed to encapsulate it. "We know you're here, Leese. Don't force me to come after you, Lisa. You know, I'll find you either way. Make this easy on yourself."

She closed her eyes pressing her body against the sharp rocks which seemed to offer a greater comfort to her then Jackson's revolting offer of leniency. Carefully, she stuck her hand out and slowly moved forwards. Her head pounded from the impact she suffered against the wall and her breathing came in quick gasps as she steadily crossed the trench. Loose pebbles tore apart the flesh of her palms but Lisa could barely feel the pain. She had ventured into an altered state where her mind had become tremendously focused on the task at hand which was her own survival.

"_Oh, God, help me." _She prayed. _"Bruce help me."_

"Lisa!" Jackson's voice cut through her once again. It was demanding and enraged. She shuddered. Then she heard him sigh. "I didn't want things to get complicated Lisa. You only have yourself to blame about why we are here tonight. If you had just turned yourself in without conspiring to trap us with the help of your new boyfriend, it wouldn't have gotten this far. Now you force my hand." He said.

_Oh God, they know. How could they have known? _For now, it didn't matter. Lisa had to focus. She had reached the other side of the waterway and had to climb upwards to get to the exit. The problem was that as soon as she did, Jackson and Crane would be able to see her.

Her body trembled at the thought. _I have no choice._ They would find her here within minutes.

"Fine, have it your way, Leese. Ready or not, here I come." Jackson's voice resonated out to her in his familiar derisive tone.

Lisa propelled her body further climbing upwards at a more frantic pace. She was nearly at the top of the crevice when she heard Jackson's voice from behind her. An object flew right by her cheek as she scrambled to the top of the ditch. Startled, she looked down where the object fell only feet away. It was a small, clear piece of plastic with a needle tip. Desperation suddenly seized her when she realized what it was.

_A tranquilizer dart._ She thought in horror as she briefly turned around. Aimed at her, Crane was holding a tranquilizer gun. Lisa sprinted towards the exit hearing Crane's voice echo from behind her. "Leaving us so soon, Lisa? You haven't upheld your end of the deal." She surged onto the gravelly road that led from the cave praying that Crane was just an inept with using the gun as Jackson. "_I'm a lousy shot."_ His words rang through her ears.

Lisa dashed towards the trees that bordered the road leading to the cave, terrified as she sought out a hiding place as sanctuary against her nightmarish tormentors.


	24. Hide and Seek

Loose branches tore at Lisa's feet as she blindly felt her way forwards through the grove of trees around her. The night seemed abundant with different sounds that seemed to resonate through her ears. Lisa felt her pocket feeling slightly reassured that the antidote was still with her. She still had a chance of getting away. She knew she had to hide as she gazed searchingly at the area surrounding her. Jackson and Crane would know where the cave entrance was located and Jackson's logic would lead them into the forest knowing that she would seek sanctuary beneath the obscuring trees.

She shivered feeling the cold night air press against her skin. Her clothes were soaking wet from running through the trench and the chill seemed to cause the sopping garments to stick to her body. Lisa knew she couldn't afford to go farther from the cave and risk getting lost and giving into eventual hypothermia. The temperature was below forty degrees and though it wasn't considered freezing, she knew that the cooling wind in combination with her wet clothes would eventually be problematic.

Spotting a grassy knoll beside the appearance of a massive Sycamore tree, she immediately crouched down behind it pressing herself against the grass and leaning her head against the trunk of the tree. Trembling, she wrapped her arms around her body rubbing them to produce warmth. The cold seemed to cut through her skin and her muscles were searing in pain from the effort she had taken to escape the clutches of her tormentors.

Exhaustion clung to her and she felt her eyelids get heavy. "No!" She muttered. "Stay awake, stay awake." She repeated out loud. It was becoming increasingly hard to fight her body's natural impulse to reside into a welcoming slumber. Lisa searched her mind trying to remember her basic first aide courses or any scrap of information to help her in this predicament. Her thoughts became muddled as she yearned to hold onto consciousness. _Sing_. She thought. Simple lyrics would help keep her mind active and stave away a dangerous sleep. An old folk song came back to her reminiscent from the days she had spent at camp as a teenager. Her parched throat managed to utter the comforting words.

_On the loose to climb a mountain_

_On the loose where I am free_

_On the loose to live my life _

_the way I think my life should be_

_For I only have a moment and a whole_

_World yet to see_

_I'll be looking for tomorrow on the loose._

She repeated the simple stanza trying to keep herself alert as she sat listlessly against the supportive trunk of the tree. Staring at the night sky above her, a lethargic calm spread through her as she felt herself become relaxed by the hypnotic radiance of the tranquil moon. _Why am I fighting so hard?_ She asked herself. _Why not just let go. It would be so simple._

Within the fragile security of her hiding place, unable to fight off the waves of fatigue that seemed to cover her with startling inner warmth, she finally succumbed to a light sleep that gently stole over her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You damn idiot! For all your training, I don't understand how you could fuck this up." Jackson had pushed Crane against the wall. "You were simply supposed to sedate her. The point being so she doesn't get the upper hand and run off. But instead, you decide to take your sweet time doing God only knows what."

Crane gave Jackson a chilling glance as he made his way from the wall to the elevator. He wasn't disappointed at all with Lisa's attempt at escape. In fact, he was thrilled by it as he watched Lisa solely motivated by her fear for him as she pushed past her own pain and exhaustion to escape. But an attempt was all it was. Crane would find her and show her the futility of any further struggle against him. She could never hope to elude him.

"Rather then argue, Jack, we need to circle around and find her." Crane told him icily.

Jackson looked at him, his eyes contorted with rage. "Jon, you seriously don't think I'm going to let you screw this up again. I'll find her and you are going home."

Crane let out an impatient sigh. "Jack, surely you must be brighter then this. Her clothes were soaking wet when she left the cave. The temperature is just below forty degrees outside. Surely, with her health at risk, you don't think it might be in your best interest to have me there. After all, I am a doctor."

Jackson clenched his teeth. "Oh, are you a doctor first now, Jon and a psychopath later? Honestly, I'm not sure anymore." He shook his head, feeling the hatred he had for Jon. He was curse to their family and was one of the many reasons why Jackson was gratified not to share the same last name with him. He had assumed the Michael Blair identity several years ago but the alias of Jackson Rippner was pure inspiration he had received after the death of his parents.

_Killing his parents had been a matter of necessity. They had caught him trying to dispose once again of one of their classmates. Simply another one of Jon's failed attempts to find an emotion that simply didn't exist for him. Yet the gratification he received in seeing someone else's fear inspired him on a quest to find all the different qualities of terror that were possible. His victim this time was lying on the ground in the shed convulsing and Jackson knew he didn't have long to survive even without his interference. A swift blow to the head with his father's shovel finished the boy's agony and Jackson had hidden the body in the interior of the shed until he could be free to bury him._

_Unfortunately, his father found the body a day later and Jackson had caught a glimpse of his father stumbling out of the shed, his face pale at what he just saw as he talked quietly to Jackson's mother unaware that he was observing them from his bedroom window. Swiftly he ran downstairs to the garage and severed the brake lines of their car knowing that their next step would be to go to the police. "Cause and effect." He thought mercilessly. He had no love for his parents. They were useful for a time and now they were in the way. Just as predicted they got into the car and drove off. He grinned menacingly as he saw their car disappear from sight. "Have a nice trip." He muttered softly thinking of the cliff and sheer drop that would await them._

Jackson turned back to Jon and finally said, "Okay, Jon. We'll find her and you will simply treat her. Nothing else. After that, I expect you to disappear. I'll have a contact provide you with a new identification papers and a new medical license but once that is done, you are gone. Our debts to each other are repaid."

Crane nodded slightly in response yet he had no intent on keeping that promise. Promises rarely served any beneficial purpose to Crane but he had no problems with deceit much unlike Jackson who prided himself in the fact that in business, he never told a lie. His targets and the individuals he used like Lisa could attest to that fact. _If any of them were alive._ He thought. With the exception of Lisa, Jackson made it a point to be meticulous in cleaning up after each mission was complete. Crane was eager to delve into Lisa's mind to see the reason for Jackson's obsession with her. The fact that Jackson didn't kill her fascinated Crane. He only managed to see part way into her psyche but he refused to leave until he could plunge into her subconscious, breaking down her barriers until he could glean everything about her from those depths.

They had carefully made their way back into the house and out the front entrance, driving around to the back road which led to the cave that Lisa had managed to climb out of.

Stepping out of the car, Jackson grabbed a pair of infrared binoculars that were capable of isolating heat patterns and seeing through obscuring boundaries. He searched the surrounding woods until he finally spotted a form huddled against a tree in the distance. He shoved the binoculars back into the car and proceeded forwarded beckoning to Crane. "Let's go." Jackson said with grim determination.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Lisa's eyes shot open at the sound of crunching twigs behind her. _Damn it!_ She thought as she struggled to get to her legs. Her hands were numb and her other extremities were stiff from the cold. Her clothes were still wet which told her that she hadn't been dozing long. _Long enough though._ She thought.

Carefully she took steps forward trying to keep her body low to the ground. She held her breath, trying to keep her footfalls as quiet as possible so as not to give away her location. Her body ached from the cold and her vision swam as all she could see was the dizzying maze of trees.

She could hear the racing footsteps behind her and she tried to quicken her pace. Suddenly, the ground seemed to disappear as she stumbled down a small drop as she fell face forward onto a patch of leaves and twisted tree limbs. Unwilling tears of pain popped into her eyes as her breath was knocked out of her momentarily. Desperately, she tried to get her hands underneath her to crawl forwards.

Suddenly she felt hands on her back attempting to turn her around and Lisa groaned in response as she weakly tried to move forwards protesting against the unyielding grip. Her struggles were useless as she was propelled onto her back. _Jackson! _Alarm surged through her but she was unable to fight him as he kneeled down and put his arms around her chest pulling her upwards until her head rested on his lap.

"Damn it. Her clothes are soaking wet and she's freezing, Jon." Jackson said as she felt his hand press against her forehead.

Lisa groaned as she saw Crane walking steadily towards them. "No….not again." She managed to murmur as she redoubled her efforts to break free.

Jackson's grip tightened on her. "Sorry, Leese but we are left with little choice. I won't have you die on me." Lisa closed her eyes tightly trying to will away the nightmare she seemed to be trapped in. Any moment, Bruce would wake her up and tell her she was safely encapsulated in the manor where no harm would come to her. "Bruce, help me." She muttered softly.

Her eyelids were suddenly forced open as a bright light was emitted directly into her pupil. She turned her head to the side away from the harsh glare closing her eyes once more. She could feel fingers on her neck. "Her pulse is slow and the pupil dilation is sluggish. We need to get her out of these wet clothes and get her home. The toxin might also be causing some repercussions at this point." She heard Crane's voice say.

Her eyes flew open as she felt arms lifting her up and carrying her out of the forest towards the car parked at the edge of the cave. Crane had already opened the back door as Jackson placed her in the back seat. Grabbing a pair of scissors, Crane turned towards her and Lisa upon seeing them, felt a surge of adrenaline as she propelled her body up struggling backwards trying to open the door on the other side of the car.

Crane climbed into the backseat straddling her waist as he gripped the tee-shirt she was wearing, neatly cutting through the thin, damp material. Her hands fumbled against him as he worked to remove the wet cloth. "Grab her wrists." Crane directed. On the other side of the car, the back door opened as Jackson seized her wrists holding her hands back as Crane worked to strip her of her sodden clothing. She gave into quiet sobs, feeling utterly horrified to be so exposed to the two men who seemed relentless on destroying everything she felt was sacred.

"Shh, Leese. It's all right. We're finished." She heard Jackson whisper as she felt a warm blanket suddenly being wrapped around her body. "Did you find the antigen?" His question was directed towards Crane.

"Yes, it was still in her pocket. We were lucky." Crane said wearily.

"Can we wait to give it to her until we get her home?" Jackson asked.

Silence seemed to resonate throughout the car as Lisa shivered inside the blanket. She was almost naked underneath the surface of the scratchy wool and she could still feel Jackson's grip on her bare shoulders pinning her against him.

"I'd rather not take any further chances. She's had a concentrated dose of the toxin and the mind can only take so much." Crane finally responded.

Before she could resist, hands gripped her head turning it to the side as the strands of her red hair was brushed away from her neck. She felt the sting of a needle and moments later, darkness consumed her.


	25. Alternative Preparations

**Disclaimer-Besides not owning any of the original characters of Batman Begins or Red Eye, I do not own Jane Savary. The character reference is from a story entitled "Lucid Dreamer" by Not Human. If you haven't read this story, I strongly advise it. The story is powerful and very disturbing.**

Jonathan Crane gazed at Lisa as her body slowly gave way to the drug induced sleep from the antidote he had just given her. Jackson on the other side of the car relinquished his grip on her wrists as he carefully tucked her arms into the blanket that had been wrapped around her. Crane pressed his fingers to her neck and looked up at his brother. "Her pulse is still a little too slow. She needs another blanket and then we need to leave."

Jackson Rippner observed him with a mocking stare. "Oh, yes, the Batman." He said with a tone of shallow indifference as he placed another blanket on top of Lisa's unconscious form. "I've been meaning to have a word with him about his attempt to steal what solely belongs to me."

Crane raised his eyebrows. "I thought you learned from last time to never let down your guard, Jack."

"I never underestimate my enemies, Jon. Especially Batman." Jackson said, smiling darkly glancing at the deepening shadows leading into the cave. "He'll never see it coming."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Batman had spent a good part of the night meticulously searching the Narrows district in hopes of finding a trace of Crane and Jackson and at three in the morning he felt weary from exhaustion. The previous two days had not been kind to him as he battled fatigue and sheer disappointment that all the previous leads to the two sociopaths were simply drying up.

Lieutenant Gordon had met him at the entrance to Arkham providing him with discreet access into the basement where Crane had tormented Lisa and numerous others in his quest to perfect his toxin. Walking through the dank interior, he felt a sudden surge of anger upon seeing the straps that had bound Lisa to the table while Crane injected the concentrated dose that was currently wreaking havoc on her mind. No other traces of Crane could be found and Batman let out a bitter sigh of near resignation.

Gordon shook his head. "There's nothing here just as I expected. Crane was obsessive about order. He would know not to leave any traces."

"Isn't there any former associates of his that worked with him that I could get information from? Anyone else in your reports?" Batman demanded, his voice darkened with rage.

"There is someone whom Crane spent a lot of time with when he was the director at Arkham. I'm not sure she'll talk about it however." Gordon started to say, sounding hesitant.

"Who? She'll talk to me." Batman stated as his eyes beneath the mask narrowed in determination.

Gordon sighed. "She's not a criminal. Her name is Jane Savary and she was one of Crane's patients. Somehow he had her incarcerated at Arkham for biting a man in self defense who was trying to rape her in an alley. The bastard pressed charges against her and she was only seventeen at the time. Just recently he confessed to being paid off by Crane for the attack he did against her."

"Where is she now?" Batman inquired.

"Still in Arkham suffering from the effects of the toxin and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Crane was obsessed with her and had her moved to the maximum security ward at Arkham which increased his contact with her tremendously. Jane's mother attempted to get an appeal but with Judge Haden being bought off by Falcone, she had no recourse. She approached Rachel Dawes about the situation but before they could set up a further meeting, she disappeared. No doubt the work of Crane and Falcone. We are trying to produce as much of the antidote as possible but it just takes time and money. A lot of which, our department doesn't have especially since the release of the toxin in the city." Gordon explained.

Gordon watched Batman as as he seemed to seethe in anger, knocking over the cold metal table which imprisoned Lisa, in disgust. "I'll see what I can do." Batman growled angrily.

Suddenly, Gordon felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket and he answered it immediately. "Are you sure? Gordon asked. "All of them? Okay, I'll be right there." He folded up his cell phone and turned back to Batman's shadowy figure. "I have to go check on Wayne Manor. For some reason, their entire security system has gone off line." He glanced away only to put his cell phone back in his pocket. As he looked up, he realized Batman had disappeared. Grimacing, he proceeded to walk out the door back to his car. "I really hate it when he does that." He muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce felt panic rising in his chest as he raced home in the Tumbler, immediately exiting on the dirt road that led to the cave. He knew something was wrong. The security system at the house was formidable and the average thief would not be able to disarm is easily. It would take the skills of a professional hacker to get through the firewalls installed throughout the central computer.

_Lisa_! He thought. The letter that Jackson had sent to her was just a means of distraction. He had simply waited until Bruce had left the house. As he started down the gravelly path, a dark BMW came out of the darkness, and neatly circumvented the tumbler while maintaining it's high speed. Instantly, Bruce tried to turn his car around in pursuit when the steering wheel suddenly stiffened in his hand and he felt the vehicle start to spin out of control. He tried pressing various controls to halt the car but the auto refused to respond.

_There must be a bug somewhere interfering with the navigation._ He told himself. Manually, he managed to lower the side window and he seized his grappling gun from his utility belt, aiming it towards a tree branch. Quickly, the hooks shot out hitting the target perfectly and Bruce managed to swing out though the window making a swift, painful impact with the ground. He winced at the shortened landing as he was more accustomed to using this tool to jump from various buildings.

The BMW was only a few yards away from him and Bruce raced forward. He seized a device shooting out a metal tacks that instantly perforated the back tire. The car spun off to the side of the road and halted as the driver's side door opened and a man stepped out, folding his arms looking back at Bruce with a smile that exuded pure malice. _This is Jackson Rippner._ Bruce realized as he watched him carefully. Jackson seemed to share the exact same features as Jonathan Crane aside from his hair color which was shades lighter and his apparent lack of need for glasses.

"Where is she?" Bruce demanded in a low threatening tone as he stepped closer. His imposing figure complete in the Batman persona would have caused terror to the average criminal. However, Jackson Rippner appeared undaunted.

"Right here, Mr Wayne." Jackson responded casually as he pulled Lisa's sleeping form still wrapped in the blanket from the car and pressed his knife to her throat. "How would you like her back in pieces? I could have one half and you could have the other?" Jackson asked maliciously.

"You know you can't take her back to Washington, Rippner. Charles Keefe has already been notified of your identity." Bruce said as he reached towards his utility belt.

Jackson smiled insidiously. "I wouldn't do that Mr. Wayne or else my knife might just slip. With all Lisa and I have been through, I'd rather kill her here then let you take what clearly belongs to me. And, I always have a plan B. I account for everything, even you."

Suddenly, Bruce felt a sudden impact on his chest as electricity ripped through him. He collapsed on the ground as he tried to fight the excruciating pain that tore through his body.

"This isn't any ordinary tazer, Mr. Wayne. It's one of the newest devices my company has been stockpiling and it can cut through armored vests, rubber and steel. Now that I have your attention, perhaps you'd like to say hello to my brother. " Jackson said as Bruce looked up at him paralyzed by the effects of the tazer.

Jonathan Crane approached him gazing at him with a look of cold malevolence. He reached into his pocket removing a canister. "Just returning the favor, Mr. Wayne." He said as he sprayed the contents of the can into his face.

Darkness descended as the bats suddenly raced around Bruce's form yet he was unable to fight them off. His limbs stiffened as he plunged into the murky depths of his own internal nightmares.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackson had pulled the BMW to the side of the road miles away as Jackson glanced at his laptop and closed the computer. It was relatively simple for him to not only disarm the security but to insert a virus into the Tumbler as well which caused the controls to immediately lock up. He had hoped that Batman would have died once the car had crashed into several of the nearby trees however, Batman had managed to avoid that particular fate. _Always have a plan B._ He thought. Just as he told Bruce Wayne, Jackson and Crane had a backup plan already set in motion since Lisa's escape. He wasn't able to retrieve Lisa fast enough to be able to avoid the details of his infiltration with Homeland Security from getting back to Charles Keefe but the alternate plan that Jackson had concocted would bring Gotham to it's knees. He glanced to the backseat where Lisa was huddled in blankets, her red curls in a state of wild disarray around her sleeping face.

Jackson reached back and gently caressing her delicate features, pushing back the matted red hair that was plastered to her face. She was incredibly beautiful to Jackson and the most vibrant woman he had ever meant. For the first time in years, a part of him which he thought was dead seemed to come awake and he relished the brief surges of feelings that were completely alien to him but felt so right. _I will never let her go._ Jackson thought. He never lied. He would kill her if necessary rather then see her with anyone else.

**I know everyone wanted her to be rescued but just be patient. I'm getting to the close of the story.**


	26. Sudden Flight

Darkness had consumed Lisa's vision and she struggled against it hearing the surge of voices all around her. Sleep desperately wanted to encapsulate her mind but she used all her will to push the lethargy away. Her arms were limp besides her on the cushioned back seat. Distantly, she could feel an arm around her pulling her up and words of warning seem to float into her ears but somehow she knew they weren't directed at her.

_I could have one half and you could have the other._ A voice had threatened. She tried to move her limbs to struggle against the arm that was supporting her. Lisa could feel something sharp at her throat. _Oh God, the knife. It's happening again."_ She thought. But moments later she was placed on the back seat and she could hear the doors close.

_No, I can't let them win. I've come too far._ Struggling against the drug's sedative effect, Lisa managed to push open her heavy eyelids and suddenly a spasm went through her and she managed to move her fingers. _Just wait. _ She told herself as she started to tentatively stretch the muscles in her arms and legs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce opened his eyes to see Alfred kneeling over him looking slightly anxious, a syringe in hand. "Not one of your better nights, was it sir?" He asked as he grabbed his arm managing to propel Bruce to his feet.

"Crane…he had a new toxin." He muttered slowly.

Alfred nodded. "The first inoculation wasn't effective. I had to double the dosage."

Suddenly, Bruce started forward to the car. "Lisa!" He said. "They have her. I need to trail them before the lead gets cold. There is only one direction which they could have gone until they hit the central freeway."

"But sir, your car. The front of it suffered damage when it collided with the trees." Alfred tried to protest.

"Alfred, it is an armored vehicle and the bug Jackson placed in it was a one shot. The anti-virus system would have already purged it." Bruce jumped into the car and moments later, the tumbler vanished as dust and gravel was tossed aside in its wake.

Alfred sighed. "You're welcome." He murmured. Indeed the GPS indicator on Bruce's bat suit was the only way to keep track of him anymore. "And you say this isn't about thrill seeking." He said quietly as he made his way back to the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa gingerly moved her arms beneath the blanket she was wrapped in. Up front, Crane appeared to be sleeping as Jackson was quietly listening to rock music with the volume slightly turned down. She had to pray that Jackson would trust the fact that the sedative would have knocked her out completely for the two days like Crane had inaccurately predicted. What Crane and Jackson were not aware of was that Lisa was developing a tolerance for depressants and she thought that for once, luck was on her side that she had managed to fight off the lull of unconsciousness.

Using it to her advantage would be tricky. She was still suffering from the lingering effects of the near hypothermia that she endured in the woods by the cave and with the exception of her underwear; the bastards had stripped her of her clothes. She knew it was medically necessary however; they seemed to take a particular delight in cutting them off her while she was still conscious. _Assholes could of at least waited until they thought I was sedated._

She deftly gripped the blanket, quietly knotting it around her, creating an instant sarong as she watched the front seat carefully. The lyrics of the song on the radio had a strange sense of irony to her as she paused to grasp the words.

_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there_

_I've become so tired, so much more aware_

_I'm becoming this all I want to do_

_Is be more like me and be less like you_

_(Numb)-Linkin Park_

The car was starting to slow down and Lisa instantly snapped her eyes shut giving the illusion of sleep as she felt the BMW pull to the side of the road. She detected a rustling noise up front and heard a clicking sound as if something was closing. Lisa almost jerked backwards when she felt fingers caressing her face, tracing her cheekbones, eyes and mouth as the hand drifted to her hair pushing it away from her face. _Oh God, please stop._ She prayed as the hand seemed to drift lower to her shoulders trailing to the top of her rib cage. "I'll never let you go." She heard Jackson say as suddenly the hand pulled back and the car started again.

_Bruce help me. Where are you? _Lisa thought miserably as she trembled as a result of Jackson's touch. She had to maintain focus and look for a moment of escape. Her prayers seemed to be answered as she felt the car turn a sharp left into what appeared to be a parking lot and pulled in front of a grocery store.

The front door opened as Jackson tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Jon, I'm going to grab some food for the next couple days. I'll be right back."

Crane only half awake at Jackson's prodding murmured something incoherent and went back to sleep as Jackson closed the door and headed into the store. Lisa watched him through her partially closed eyes. _This is my chance. _Seizing the top of the blanket to make certain it was secure around her, she leaned forwards and as quietly as possible so as not to wake Crane, she slowly opened the back door.

Crawling out, her feet touched the ground. Her legs still felt weak but she was able to walk as she gently closed the door behind her and crept along to the other side of the plaza where a drug store was located at the opposite end of the strip mall.

Immediately she rushed to the cashier. "Please help me. I've was kidnapped and I managed to escape but they'll be coming after me at any moment. Please call the police!" She pleaded, her breaths came quickly as she leaned against the counter for support.

The blond cashier froze for a moment as she observed Lisa's panicky face and the fact that she only had a blanket wrapped around her. Instantly, the cashier put her hand under the counter and triggered the silent alarm that was installed in case of emergencies which immediately summoned the police. Lisa glanced out the side window of the store horrified to see that Crane and Jackson were searching the parking lot already in an attempt to find her.

"Don't tell them I'm here." She said insistently as she immediately retreated to the back of the store going behind the double doors that were marked "For Employees Only." She found herself in the security room which was empty aside from the two televisions which were connected to camera's up front that focused on the cashier station.

"Please, please, please." Lisa repeated to herself as she watched Jackson and Crane enter the store to question the young girl at the register. Lisa's legs seemed to collapse beneath her as she stared helplessly at the monitor. Until the police arrived, her life was in that young woman's hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yes, Gordon?" Bruce said, instantly activating his transponder.

"We may have a lead. Not far from Wayne Manor, a silent alarm was activated by the local drug store within the Oak Plaza just right off the freeway." Gordon responded.

"I'll be right there." Bruce said. Even though it could be just something as simple as a routine theft, he had to check out every possible lead. If Lisa somehow had managed to escape, it would only be a temporary reprieve until Jackson and Crane would find her. She wouldn't be able to get far in her condition and they would tear apart the entire plaza looking for her.

With that in mind, he shifted the car up a gear as his tumbler hurtled forwards.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackson leaned across the counter staring intently at the blond woman who seemed to tremble under his gaze. Her voice had shakily denied the presence of anyone else in the store. Glancing at her name tag he looked back directly into her eyes. "Jenny?" He asked gently. "Do you want to know what I think?"

Her heart thudded against her chest as her eyes wavered back and forth between the two men. The men shared the same chilling blue eyes which seemed to pierce her very. These men were far worse then any she had encountered so far as they seemed glare at her with a look of pure malevolence.

The man who was interrogating her who called himself Jackson suddenly leaped over the counter seizing her by the neck and pushing her against the wall as she clawed against the iron grip. "I think you're not entirely being honest with me, are you Jenn?" He whispered to her. Tears popped out of her eyes as she struggled to breathe. "You see, I can detect when somebody is lying to me. It's a gift, Jenn." He murmured in her ear. "Now where were we?" He asked maliciously and he viciously slammed her head against the wall.

Jenny could see flashes of color as it swarmed through her vision and her head pounded. "Last chance, Jenn. Where is she?" He said releasing his grip on her neck. She slid to the floor coughing. He knelt down beside her. "You better tell me now because either way, you will talk to us. It really depends on how much you value your sanity after it's all said and done. You remember the toxin released in Gotham. Well, my brother Jon here was its creator. He's of course always looking for new test subjects." As if on cue, Crane approached her pulling out a canister as Jenny's eyes widened in fear. She let out a soft groan and tried to move away but Jackson seized her arms. "Not so fast, Jenn. Where is she?"

She looked at them and closed her eyes. She really had wanted to be the poor woman in the back but at the cost of her life? "She…." Jenny started to say and suddenly sirens cut through the air.

"Shit." Jackson muttered glancing down at the clerk whose eyes were glazed over in a look of shock. He shoved her back against the counter. "We'll finish this later, Jenn. One way or another." He told her spitefully. The sound of the door opening and closing echoed through the store.

Jenny's hands shook as she lifted them from her face. Suddenly, the door slid open again and she let out a scream in fear. A dark figure stood in front of her. _Batman._ She thought. "No, please don't hurt me. I don't know anything I swear." Her body was wracked with tremors.

She felt thick gloves on her arms as she heard him speak to her in a low voice. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm trying to find a friend who was kidnapped by two men only hours ago. Is she here?"

"She went towards the back. That's all I know." Jenny managed to say. The door was opening again and she heard other voices. Opening her eyes slowly, she felt some relief radiate through her as she saw the familiar uniforms of the police.

"Gordon," She heard Batman say. "Help her. She's in shock."

He had immediately retreated from the girl as she collapsed back against the wall and Gordon started to approach her, speaking to her in a gentle, reassuring tone.

Bruce hurriedly made his way towards the back of the store. "Lisa?" He called out. Distinctly, he heard a moan come and he proceeded through the double doors of the employee warehouse to find Lisa huddled in the security room. Exhaustion had overtaken her as she was unable to stand despite her efforts but the look on her face conveyed sheer gratitude upon seeing his presence. He knelt down and immediately wrapped his arms around her as she leaned her head against his shoulder allowing the tears she had suppressed during the tumultuous night to flow down her cheeks and the racking sobs to finally overtake her.


	27. Cost of Freedom

Lisa opened her eyes feeling contentment spread through her upon seeing the familiar room at Wayne Manor. For the moment, a burden had been lifted from her as she no longer faced the fear of her impending destruction from Crane's toxin. Lucius Fox had come and gone last night after testing her blood to verify that she was free of the chemical.

He had shaken his head. "You should have been out for a good day or two, young lady. I suppose we can all be thankful for the benefits of adrenaline and adaptation."

She had fallen asleep in the Tumbler as Bruce brought her back to the manor. For once, her dreams were peaceful as she relished the pure contentment of a long, uninterrupted slumber. Lisa had given in to taking frequent naps throughout the last two days as she recovered from the effects of the toxin and the near freezing temperature that had wreaked havoc on her body.

Slowly, she got out of bed and slipped on a robe. Heading downstairs, she found Bruce sitting in an easy chair in the library studying the newspaper while sipping his coffee that was perched beside him.

"Good morning." Lisa murmured as she entered the room. Bruce's face lit up as he put down his newspaper.

"Morning? It's three in the afternoon. If Alfred were here, he would say that you were pushing it." He said giving her an enigmatic grin.

"I think he'll forgive me after the night I had a couple days ago." She said wryly. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Bruce, that cashier in the store that helped me. Was she all right? Did Jackson or Crane….?" Her voice trailed off, unable to finish. Lisa had vague memories of looking at the security monitor to see Jackson's hand wrapped around the girl's neck as she gasped for air.

He got up and went over to her. "Her name is Jenny as she's fine. She went into a little shock and she was taken to the hospital. Jackson and Crane didn't have time to further coerce her before we arrived." Bruce said reassuringly.

"But they might try again. You don't know them like I do." She said vehemently.

"Which is why Gordon is assigning her a police escort and I'll keep an eye on her. I do think there is a more pressing issue however. We still need to find Crane and Jackson and there might be someone who can help us do that." He said as he went to his desk, picked up a file that Gordon had handed him and gave it to Lisa.

Lisa glanced at him curiously as she opened the file to read the contents. In it were several pictures of a very attractive young woman no older then seventeen or eighteen with dark blond hair and intelligent looking grey eyes whose smile radiated a sense of life, vitality and inner strength. As she flipped through the photos, she noticed ones that were taken at Arkham a few months ago and anger surged through Lisa as she saw the same girl who was thinner then her already small frame could afford, with pallid skin and a hollow look in those once vital grey eyes. The lifeless expression on the photo caused Lisa to shove all the rest of the photos aside until she found the name that was all too familiar.

"Jane." Lisa whispered as she looked up at Bruce. "Oh, God, what did that bastard do to her?" She asked as she looked through the notes attached in the file.

"Jane Savary was one of Crane's several victims he used to test his toxin and other experimental drug paraphernalia on. I've sent Lucius over to Arkham to run a blood test on her to see if the normal antidote will be sufficient since Jane had been under Crane's supervision for months at a time before the toxin was made airborne in the Narrows." Bruce said shaking his head.

"Which means, Crane has been giving her that crap on a day in and day out basis, right?" Lisa asked, feeling disgust creep through her. She continued leafing through the file and froze upon reading a portion of it. "She's still in Arkham?" Her tone rang with disbelief.

Bruce was silent as Lisa shivered reading through the file. _Patient is prone to night terrors and frequent hallucinations. Altered state from past toxicology report combined with probable PTSD. Prior attempts at chemical detox have proven to be unsuccessful. On wait list for current antigen_

Lisa put the file back on the desk and ran her hand through her curly red hair. "Does Lucius believe he can make an antigen for her? If she was given the toxin on a regular basis, the normal dosage won't be effective." She said.

"I know Lisa and I trust Lucius on this. He's working on it as we speak." He responded quickly.

"Then we need to get her out of there and help her. We need to find out what Jane knows. I can't continue to keep looking over my shoulder and neither can she. This has to end." Lisa collapsed in one of the chairs as she remembered the hell she had been through.

"It may be harder then you think Lisa. She'll have a great deal of recovery ahead of her. Crane became obsessed with her pretty much to the extent of how Jackson is with you." He stated.

"Bruce, I know all too well. Did you know Crane bragged about what he did to Jane while he had me strapped down there in the basement? He told me how he used her to force her fears to the surface so she could embrace them. Fears that Crane directly caused. He set up her entire attack. She was only seventeen yet that psychotic bastard couldn't have cared less. He probably would have experimented on a five year old if given the opportunity!" She exclaimed.

Silence filled the room after Lisa's out burst while the memory that she had tried so hard to repress filled her mind. Crane was bending over her with a needle in his hand, giving her a smile filled with cold malice as he explained to her in a tone of chilling indifference about what he had done to Jane. Beneath the icy exterior, his eyes had seemed to hold a gleam of longing as he reflected on her.

_I have to get her out of there. I'll be damned if I let her fall into his hands again. Not if I can help it._ Lisa thought.

The ringing of the phone broke through the temporary stillness that had resonated throughout the room. Bruce instantly answered the phone. "Lucius, were you able to make the antigen?" He asked and paused to listen for a moment. "Tomorrow? Okay, thank you."

He turned to Lisa. "He was able to create an antidote but in order for it to take effect, Jane needs to be sedated first so her mind can be completely at rest so the toxin can work its way out of her system. In a sense, it's like rapid chemical detox. She'll need to remain at Arkham for another day before we can remove her from the facility so they can monitor her while this occurs."

Lisa nodded in compliance. She felt such a great affinity towards Jane even though she had yet to meet her. Crane had used every effort at his disposal to break Jane's fervent spirit yet had never managed to defeat her entirely. _You're not broken yet, Jane. Hold on._ Lisa thought.

**This is kind of a filler and informative chapter which I needed to connect different events. I'm trying to build up for the climatic point which will occur in the next couple chapters. Also, again, Jane Savary is not my creation but is a character borrowed from Lucid Dreamer by Not Human. I also like to thank Royal09 for her patience and willingness to listen while I bounced ideas off her and her plot suggestions throughout my story. I like to thank Not Human for helping fill in some of the blanks that I missed regarding Jane so that I can hopefully portray her more accurately. **


	28. Darkness Falls

Lisa swallowed hard as she stared at the foreboding exterior of Arkham Medical. Once a psychiatric facility for the criminally insane, the metal gates surrounded the facility that now harbored both the sane and insane alike. In Gotham City, the toxin cloud that was dispersed through the air made no distinctions but affected everyone in its path despite their predisposition.

She had not been back to Arkham since Jonathan Crane had forced her to endure that cruel experiment of his where she was forced into a guided hallucinogenic dream state where she was compelled to watch Cynthia die brutally because of the impossible decision she was coerced into making.

Shivering, she turned to Bruce who held her hand. "You sure she's awake now?" Lisa asked, her voice betraying her reluctance on reentering the building. Despite the efforts to convert the former insane asylum to a regular medical facility, the exterior was still the same which rose four stories above the ground painted in a dismal grey. _How many people perished here?_ Lisa asked herself. _What ghosts still remain?_

Indeed the building seemed haunted to Lisa as she quavered internally but regardless of her feelings, she stepped tentatively into the busy lobby where Bruce guided her to the reception desk. The busy secretary barely glanced up at them. "Name?" she asked impatiently.

"Bruce Wayne and Lisa Reisert here to see Jane Savary. Dr. Cole is expecting us," Bruce said, smiling easily at the harried assistant.

The receptionist nodded as she picked up her phone. "Of course, Mr. Wayne. He'll be right down. Would you two like to have a seat?" she asked as a sudden courtesy filled her voice.

Lisa shook her head remembering that Wayne family had been prominent citizens in Gotham and there wasn't a resident in the city that didn't know Bruce's name. She had a brief period of her own fame when she had foiled Jackson on the fated red eye flight. The Lux Atlantic suddenly became incessantly busy as people came to look at her with admiration and curiosity. Room 4080 had become a morbid tourist attraction ironically enough. _Maybe we should've charged admission._ Lisa thought.

They were sitting in the lobby for nearly ten minutes when the doctor finally came through the elevator and introduced himself to them. Shaking hands with Bruce and Lisa, he sat down in one of the chairs in the waiting room across from the couple.

"The paperwork from the court came through, Mr. Wayne, and everything is in order. Jane has seemed to come through the detox process without complications and her general condition has seemed to improve somewhat. However, she is still suffering from the repercussions of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I strongly advise that when you take her to your home that she is not left alone for any length of time." Dr. Cole advised.

"We do understand, doctor," Lisa said firmly as the doctor turned to her.

"The only reason we are releasing her to your care is that we are hopelessly understaffed and the fact that she has remained at Arkham is a dehabilitating factor." He glanced at Lisa. "I think it would be more beneficial if you came alone to visit Jane initially so that she can at least get to know you on an individual level. I understand that you have had your own experiences with the former Dr. Crane?" he asked.

Lisa shivered at the mention of his name. "Yes and I do not wish for a repeat for myself or for Jane."

Looking at her sympathetically, Dr. Cole said, "At some point, you and Jane will need to re-expose yourselves to those memories in order for you both to move on. You would assist Jane more by sharing your experiences with her rather then hiding from them."

"Excuse me, doctor but you have no idea what I've been through," Lisa said sharply in response.

"Perhaps not, but I was once a subordinate of Dr. Crane's and became familiar with his supposed methods of treatment. I have had the unfortunate duty of treating a great deal of his patients who have suffered at his hands and many are in worse condition than Jane is. In a sense, she's one of the lucky ones. There are several patients that have no meaningful hope of recovery," Dr. Cole said softly.

"I understand. Am I able to see her now?" she asked impatiently.

"Of course. Mr. Wayne, if you'll wait here. This should only take a few minutes and then we'll meet you back downstairs," he told Bruce as he guided Lisa to the elevator.

Inserting a key into the lock on the elevator, he pushed the button for the third floor and turned to Lisa as the doors closed. "Dr. Crane installed a key lock system to all the elevators and doorways to the stairs so that only he and the staff could have access depending on their security level. It helped to thwart several escape attempts." he explained.

"You haven't dismantled the system yet?" Lisa asked, feeling slightly ill at ease by the ghostly reminders of the former psychiatric institution. She could almost here the echoes of the screams that had once resonated throughout the various hallways no doubt suffering from Crane's relentless attacks on their minds.

Dr. Cole sighed. "Miss Reisert, you must understand that while we are understaffed, we had to focus on priorities such as transporting medical equipment here so we could stabilize critical patients. I'm sorry if it's unpleasant to see but until after the crisis has been averted, we can't waste time and money on decorative measures."

Lisa was slightly taken aback by his curt reply and was about to say so when the elevator doors opened and she followed Dr. Cole into the corridor, passing the nurses station. Nodding to the nurse at the desk, they were buzzed through a door that was acted as a partition between the patient wings and the rest of the floor.

The entire floor was had an utterly sterile feel to it as Lisa glanced at the surrounding hallways and rooms which were displayed their Spartan interior. The tiled floor way and corridors were done in a monochromatic white color. The majority of the patient rooms were windowless which seemed to add to a patient's insanity rather then deplete it.

Upon approaching a patient room, he opened the door and Lisa tentatively followed him into the room. A wave of sadness filled her as she took in the scene before her eyes as she saw a figure lying on the hospital bed, her eyes closed as an IV pierced her delicate, pale skin that seemed stretched over her diminutive frame. Her unkempt blond hair pooled around her face which still maintained a look of tension despite her slumber.

Lisa had seen photos of the girl but it was nothing compared to the actual reality of the moment as she stared at her in shock. Suddenly she felt Dr. Cole's hand on her shoulder. "Despite her appearance, she is doing better. The chemical detox is often difficult to endure physically especially with the amount of toxin she had in her system. She should be looking better within a few days."

"You don't keep her locked up in here, do you?" Lisa demanded.

"Not if we can help it. We try not to lock the doors in here, Miss Reisert, unless the patient is a serious threat to themselves and when that happens, they usually go to another wing of the hospital. Jane actually has the tendency to lock her door from the inside at night and we allow her that freedom. It's important that she feels she has some control especially in this environment," Dr. Cole explained.

He proceeded to walk towards Jane and gently touched the girl's shoulder. Her body seemed to jerk in response as her grey eyes flew open immediately surveying the room and she sat up in bed. "Scarecrow…" Her voice drifted, laced with confusion as she saw the visitors in her room and her body gave way to an involuntary shudder. "I was dreaming. But I don't remember it anymore. How long have I been asleep?" She glanced at Lisa. "Who are you?" Jane asked her voice edged with suspicion.

"This is Lisa Reisert, Jane. Do you remember me telling you about her?" Dr. Cole asked persuasively.

"I'm not sure. Where is Angie?" Jane muttered as she leaned back against her pillow in confusion. "Everything is muddled."

"That's to be expected after the detox. Her memories might return in time." He whispered to Lisa. She stepped forwards and nodded to Dr. Cole who said, "I'm going to leave you two to get acquainted. I'll be back shortly to remove your IV, all right?" he asked directing the question to Jane.

Jane barely inclined her head as her eyes locked onto Lisa's, who sat down at the chair perched beside her bed.

"What do you remember?" Lisa asked softly.

"Just chaotic images. Things happened in still frames and then in a rapid blur. I don't know what was real and what wasn't. I was so lost," she murmured. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Where is Angie? What do you want from me?"

"Jane, I just want to help you if I can." Lisa told her.

"That's what Dr. Crane used to say. But it wasn't really him. Underneath, he's not a man. He's a monster," she said, her voice trembling. "A Scarecrow."

Lisa let out a laugh she was unable to suppress more born out of her own bitterness then amusement. "You're not far off, Jane. I know that first hand. Who is Angie?" Lisa asked.

"Angie was my friend. She had the cell next to me and she watched over me when…" Jane's voice broke off. "I can't remember but I need to find her."

"I'll ask Dr. Cole about her when he returns. Do you know if she is still a patient here?" Lisa asked gently.

"I don't know. I can't…" She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Scarecrow," Jane whispered again. "He got into my head somehow and made me see things I never wanted to see. I can't get him out, Lisa."

"Yes, you will Jane. It will take time but you will. You can't let him win," Lisa stated firmly.

Jane gave Lisa a searching stare. "You know him. He's done it to you too."

Lisa glanced down as she clenched her fists tightly in her lap. "Yes, he has," she murmured faintly. "But that doesn't mean we can't still defeat him. I need your help with this."

Jane gave her a speculative look. "How?" she asked; her already pale face seemed to become a shade whiter as fear became evident in her eyes.

"I'd like you to leave Arkham to stay with Bruce and I. Your doctor has agreed to release you to our care. I can promise that you'll be more comfortable there then here in the hospital. We need any help you can give us so we can find Crane before he hurts anyone else. If you agree, we can leave here today. You won't have to see this place again," Lisa assured her.

She watched Jane as the faintest gleam of hope spring in the young women's eyes. "You'll take me away from here? But what about Angie? I just can't leave her here." Jane asked as a mix of anticipation and apprehension filled her voice.

"I'll find out where she is and if she is still here. We'll figure it out, Jane. We are not going to just leave her here." Lisa told her. Despite the fact that she didn't know the history regarding Angie she had to assume that Crane must have tormented her as well and the two girls only had each other to cling on to in a world that had seemed to abandon them.

"Then, yes, I can't stay here. He could come back at any time." The memory of that terror caused Jane to quiver in fear as she looked at Lisa pleadingly.

Lisa stood up and started to walk towards the door. "Okay, let me find the doctor so we can get the IV out and the discharge paperwork signed."

As Lisa opened the door to call for Dr. Cole, then entire facility was suddenly plunged into darkness as Lisa suddenly heard the exterior doors that were the exit to the elevators suddenly click shut as screams of panic resonated throughout the hallways. It took only moments for her to realize that she and Jane were once again prisoners trapped inside the depths of the former asylum.

**Authors Note:**

I do not own any of the characters in Red Eye or Batman Begins. Nor do I own Jane or Angie. Those characters are original characters of Lucid Dreamer and Hearts of Crane by Not Human which I highly recommend. Also, I wish to once again give a special thanks to Not Human and Royal09 for their assistance and suggestions in this chapter as well as others.


	29. Nowhere to Run

Darkness had encapsulated the building as Lisa heard the startled cries in the surrounding corridors in response to the power outage. Distantly, she could hear voices from the staff down by the partition.

"…taken over the top three floors." She heard and strained harder to grasp the rest of the conversation. "Two of them….must get out of here….former medical director." Footsteps echoed against the tiled floor.

Fear seized Lisa as suddenly the meaning of those fragmented conversations suddenly dawned on her. Immediately, she retreated into Jane's room and closed the door, locking it behind her as her hands searched frantically for the closet in the room.

"What's going on?" Jane asked, her voice filled with terror. "Lisa, what's happening?"

Lisa was feeling her way through the closet as finally her hand fell on the flashlight that she had been searching for. Quickly, she turned it on and hurried back to Jane's bedside where the frightened girl was sitting upright, her feet dangling from the edge of the mattress.

"Jane, we have to get out of here quickly. I locked the door but I don't know how long that will hold them off. I need to pull out the IV and we need to leave. We can't wait for Dr. Cole to come back." Lisa told her, trying to stay calm however, her voice seemed to betray her fear.

A sudden comprehension filled the young girl's eyes as her body suddenly became rigid in trepidation. "It's him, isn't it? Scarecrow." She murmured.

Lisa watched her through the small beam of light the flashlight provided as Jane's eyes seemed to glaze over in shock. Gently but firmly, she grabbed her arm and shook her lightly. "Jane, stay with me. We need to get out of here." Her words seemed uneffective so she switched tactics and pulled Jane up to a standing position. "Are you just going to lay back and let him find you here? Finish his treatment after you fought so hard to get away? Are you really going to let him get you that easily?" Lisa knew she was being harsh and unrelenting but she was willing to do whatever it took to propel her into action.

Jane's head immediately jerked up as she glared at Lisa enraged. "No!" She said venomously. "I won't let him do that to me again." Ripping off the tape that kept the IV in place, she yanked it out with one swift jerk. Swiftly, Lisa took some gauze from the table and handed it to Jane as she pressed it against the small wound.

"Angie!" Jane suddenly exclaimed. "We need to find her before he does!" Despair filled her eyes. "She was only trying to protect me."

"We'll try Jane. I'm not even sure she is here but we'll find out." Lisa said as she rifled through the closet relieved to find a pair of sweats. Tossing them to her, she said, "Put these on. Their less conspicuous then the hospital gown."

Quickly, Lisa tossed her heels into the closet. She couldn't take the chance of wearing them and the resulting noise they would make against the floor. Jane had emerged from the bathroom wearing the grey sweats Lisa had found and suddenly a crashing noise emanated not far from the door followed by the sound of knocking.

Lisa put her finger to her lips to indicate silence as they huddled quietly in the room. _The lock won't hold for long if Jackson or Crane are on the other side._ Lisa thought as she started to survey the room.

"Jane! Miss Reisert, it's me! Dr. Cole! Please let me in." The familiar voice said on the other side. Breathing a small sigh of relief, Lisa quickly unlocked and opened the door as the doctor hurried into the room. She quickly closed and bolted it behind him.

"I need to get the two of you out of here." He said. "I assume you know who has taken over the building."

Lisa nodded. "I overheard the staff outside."

"All levels of the building have been sealed off aside from the lobby. Dr. Crane must have installed a security lock down measure in the computer that was only accessible to him." Dr. Cole explained.

"Then how do we get out?" Lisa demanded as she frantically tore through the room in search of anything that could feasibly be used as a weapon.

"The ventilation shafts will lead to the fourth floor. From there, you'll find an access panel to the roof." He said as he headed towards the metal grate on the floor.

_Not this again._ Lisa thought wearily. "The roof? But we'll be trapped up there! There is no way to get to the lobby?" She asked.

"Miss Reisert, it's a long shot going through the shaft to the roof but it is the only way. You can climb down the fire escape once you reach the top. Dr. Crane is far from ignorant. If he knew there was a way past his security measure to the lobby within the building, he would have blocked it. The bastard probably planted the lockdown code in the system in case he ever needed leverage." Dr. Cole said in frustration. He had managed to pull aside the grate that led to the shaft and he beckoned Lisa and Jane towards it.

"Aren't you coming too?" Jane asked as she gazed at the small opening with a look of dread.

Dr. Cole shook his head. "I can't Jane. I need to stay here and help as many patients as I possible. Just do what we talked about. Find that strength inside you that I know is there. Watch out for each other."

"Wait, what about Angie? Is she here? You have to help her too!" Jane pleaded insistently.

"Jane, Angie was transferred to a private facility in Vermont by her family a month ago." He gripped her shoulders. "Please Jane, you and Lisa must leave now."

Suddenly there was pounding on the outside of the door followed by the sound of the rattling of the door knob shifting against the lock.

"Lissssa!" Jackson's menacing voice came through the door. "I know you're in there, Leese. Don't make me come in there after you."

"Shit!" Lisa muttered and grabbed Jane by the arm who stared at her in horror.

"Scarecrow! It's him." Jane stuttered as panic radiated through her voice.

"No, Jane. Not quite but he's almost as bad. Come on! We need to hurry." Lisa whispered to her as she shoved Jane ahead of her into the shaft. "Doctor, you should come with us. You can't let them find you here." She pleaded.

"I'll be all right, just go!" He said as he shoved Lisa into the shaft after Jane and bolted the grate into the wall after them.

Moments passed as a voice surged through the door. "You can't say I didn't warn you, Leese." Dr. Cole grabbed a chair and instantly shoved it in front of the grate to obscure it from the view of the perpetrator. He only managed to cover it partially when he heard a sharp, whistling sound and the door was suddenly thrust open.

Dr. Cole gasped upon seeing the unmistakable resemblance that the man had to Jonathan Crane. Obviously it wasn't him being that he had a wiry build as opposed to Crane's thinner frame and those pale blue eyes were filled with a cold malice clearly exposed without the need for glasses.

"You're not Crane." He said to the man who advanced towards him menacingly.

"No. My brother is preoccupied for the moment with some of your staff. What, did Lisa tell you about me, is that it? Where is she?" He demanded.

Dr. Cole remained silent as he met Jackson's loathing stare. Behind the grate, Lisa was petrified as she watched Jackson interrogate the doctor whom had proven to be an ally. "Please, please." She whispered. She could hear Jane's heavy breathing in front of her as she watched the girl press her hands to her ears.

Lisa put her hand to her mouth to block out any potential scream or gasp that might escape as she saw Jackson shove Dr. Cole against the wall as he pulled out a serrated knife. "Last chance, doctor. Where are they?" Jackson asked.

_Oh, God, he knows about both of us. He knows Jane is here. _Tears started to emerge from her eyes as she clasped her hand against her lips even tighter.

"I don't know and even if I did, I would be damned if I tell you." The doctor said evenly.

"Wrong answer, doctor." Jackson said as a sudden tormented cry of pain resounded through the room.

Lisa felt bile surge to her throat as she saw something fall to the ground by the vent and saw a piece of flesh covered in blood. _An ear._ A voice within her mind said. _Jackson cut off his ear_. She managed to stifle the moan that tried to escape her throat.

"Lisa…?" Jane whispered shakily from behind her.

_No, I can't let her see this._ She turned around and pushed Jane down the tiny corridor. "Hurry, Jane. We need to move." Lisa said as she crawled as quickly as possible away from the room to escape Jackson's menacing tone.

Despite her efforts, Jackson's malevolent voice still reached her ears. "That's one ear doctor. Did you want to keep the other or should we try this again?"

**Author's Note:**

**Just again wanted to say thank you to Royal09 for bouncing ideas off of and to Not Human for borrowing her OFC's Jane and Angie and helping of course with some plot concepts as well.**


	30. Trapped in Motion

"Jane you have to keep moving." Lisa said forcefully using her hands to gently push the girl in front of her who had paused in the ventilation shaft as her breathing came in shorts gasps.

_An anxiety attack._ Lisa realized. _But we just don't have the time._ "Jane, can you hear me?" Lisa asked and Jane nodded in response. "Cup your hand over your mouth and nose to create a pocket of hair between your mouth and your hand. Now breathe into it." Lisa instructed.

Lisa had dealt with her own share of anxiety attacks over the past few years and her short time spent in therapy had taught her a few things about how to resolve them quickly. She watched Jane carefully as she followed Lisa's direction and the quick heaving of her chest gradually subsided.

"Sorry, I…" Jane started to say and Lisa stopped her.

"Jane, I know. I'm terrified too but we have to keep going. We're almost there." Lisa said reassuringly but despite her words of comfort, she had no idea if they were true. She could only hope that Dr. Cole's hasty directions were correct. She felt horrid for not fully trusting Dr. Cole regardless of what he had endured but Lisa trusted so few people these days and suddenly the image of Bruce popped into her mind. _Bruce, help me!_ She prayed silently but Lisa knew her only chance of any salvation would be in getting to the rooftop of the facility.

They began progressing once more through the pitch black interior as Lisa felt the weight of the darkness press against her like a solid force. It seemed as if they had been trapped within the corridor for hours when she could hear Jane come into contact with a metal barrier up ahead.

A faint beam of light emitted at the side of the shaft as Lisa and Jane dug their fingers into the the grate, struggling to remove the one obstacle to their exit. As they managed to knock it aside, Lisa emerged first into an abandoned hospital room. Obviously, the patient who had once occupied the bed had fled to the hallways in panic but at least the room was empty. She reached out her hand to Jane, guiding her into the room, dimly lit only by Lisa's flashlight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce Wayne had been sitting in the waiting room patiently skimming through magazines when he received a call on his cell phone from Alfred. Flipping open the device, he answered the phone.

"Yes, Alfred?" He asked.

"Sir, have you seen the news?" Alfred asked with a note of apprehension in his voice.

"No, I'm still waiting for Lisa and Jane. Why?" Bruce started to ask but the words died in on his lips as his attention became focused on the television poised over the reception desk where a crowd was starting to gather to watch the anchor speak.

"_Homeland Security has just announced a threat made against Gotham City by an unknown terrorist cell which is in response to the deal being made with the United Nations and the United States to increase efforts to establish that surrounding countries are dismantling their weapons of mass destructions. The agreement which is due to be signed in a matter of hours have instigated a formal threat to the White House and United Nations that if the signing continues as planned terrorists will detonate weapons which contain a more virulent toxin then the chemical inhalant that was released in Gotham City only months ago. A White House spokesperson gave assurances that the policy of non-negotiation with terrorists will be upheld and that Homeland Security is in the process of finding and dismantling these weapons. For now, residents of Gotham are advised to stay in their homes for their own safety. We'll have more information as the situation develops."_

"Crane. It has to be him." Bruce said. "Alfred, I'll be home shortly. I need you to pick up Lisa and Jane and get them home as soon as possible."

"I'll be right over." Alfred said.

Sighing in frustration, Bruce glanced at the elevator. He was reluctant to leave Lisa here in this decrepit facility but he had no choice. It was a lead to Jackson and Crane whom were obviously supplying terrorists with the toxin and he to pursue it now since time was against him. As Bruce ran out the door to his car with his attention entirely focused on the crisis at hand, he failed to notice the sudden power outage that blanketed Arkham in darkness behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa and Jane paused momentarily in the room, taking deep breaths feeling relieved to be out of the confines of the narrow ventilation chamber. Lisa ran into the bathroom cupping water from the faucet and drinking to purge the rancid taste that had filled her mouth. Clenching the edge of the sink with both hands she looked into the mirror to see the strands of her curly red hair, damp from perspiration clinging to the side of her neck. Her green eyes were red from exhaustion and the tears that had coursed down her cheeks upon seeing Dr. Cole's perpetual suffering at the hands of Jackson Rippner.

A small moan escaped her throat as she recalled seeing the brutality that she had witnessed from Jackson. Guilt was Lisa's constant companion as she reflected at her sheer helplessness that she could do nothing to cease his torment perpetrated by Jackson.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I didn't know what to do. I'm so sorry."

"Lisa?" A voice came from behind her and Lisa turned to find Jane standing tentatively at the door frame.

Swiftly, Lisa threw water on her face as she wiped away the remnants of the tears that she had been unable to suppress. Turning around to face Jane, she asked, "Did you want to…?" She asked, beckoning to the restroom.

The girl nodded silently in response and Lisa exited the restroom to sit on the bed as Jane vanished inside, closing the door behind her.

Restless, Lisa stood up deciding to open the door and survey the surrounding corridors to make certain it was clear for Jane and herself to run to the other side of the hospital where the escape panel was located. Despite the false illusion of safety the room seemed to provide, Lisa knew that it would only be a matter of time before Jackson or Crane would find them there.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on the door knob and slowly opened it only to be faced with a pair of steely blue eyes that assaulted her vision. Jackson casually leaned against the door frame as he smiled darkly at her causing his eyes to glitter with a cold malice. "Going somewhere, Leese?" He asked in a tone which seemed to resonate with pure malevolence.

**I'm sorry for the shorter chapter but it was a good ending place. Again thank you Not Human and Royal09 for being a sounding board, support and of course, Not Human for lending me her characters so generously. Thank you to all my reviewers. It's a great encouragement to know I've written something that you guys enjoy!**


	31. Visages of Evil

Lisa's shock wore off quickly as she rapidly threw herself against the door to slam it shut in Jackson's face. However, he anticipated her action as his elbow collided with the door, forcing it open causing Lisa to stumble backwards into the room.

_Jane! I can't let him find her._ She thought as she instantly tried to dodge him and run out the door. If she could just get out into the hallway, he might not detect Jane's presence. Instantly, an arm encircled her waist yanking her backwards as she was forced up against the wall, his hand gripping her neck.

"Did you think I would really let you go that easily Leese? That I would allow some billionaire, pampered asshole with a bat fetish to touch what belongs to me?" Jackson whispered. Lisa groaned as his grip tightened around her throat. "Now, Lisa, where's your little companion? I know you were with her. Dr. Cole was only too happy to tell me after a little encouragement. "

She refused to say a word as she gave him a glare of utter repulsion.

Jackson's expression filled with rage as he instantly grabbed Lisa's arms and shoved her against the bed. Falling backwards on the thin mattress, she struggled to get to her feet only to be pinned down on the bed by the weight of his body. She fought wildly against him however he managed to pin her wrists above her head with one hand as his other palm rested on her thigh. "You know what I think, Lisa?" He asked maliciously as he removed a gun from his belt and pressed it against her cheek. "I think you have her close by and you will tell me where she is. Jon is very much looking forward to their reunion."

"No!" Lisa screamed. "Get off me!" She surged upwards in order to propel Jackson off her. Gasping for air as the weight of his body pressed into her, she gazed at him loathingly. "Bastard! You are no better then the animal who raped me, Jack. In fact, you are far lower then he is. At least, he had a soul. Where's yours?" She spat out at him.

His hand belted her across the face so hard that her vision momentarily blurred as her head made impact against the hard metal railing to the side of the bed. He pulled her upwards, his hand clasping her chin as she felt his fingers digging into her jaw. "Is she hiding here in the room with you, Leese? Is that it?" He asked viciously.

Suddenly, Lisa heard a crashing down and was astounded to feel Jackson's grip weaken until he finally released her to collapse onto the tiled floor. She looked up in surprise to see Jane wielding a metal wastebasket that she had retrieved from the restroom to use against Jackson's head.

The bin fell from Jane's fingers and clattered to the floor as she stared at Jackson with a look of mute horror on her face. "Scarecrow…" She whispered. Lisa grabbed Jane's arm as she glanced down at Jackson. His eyes were still open and Lisa knew he was only stunned. _He'll be up within moments._ She thought.

"No, Jane. That's his brother Jackson but he's just as bad. We need to get out of here." Lisa said urgently to her. Jane's eyes seemed to once again snap back into the present as she and Lisa ran into the outer corridor.

Darkness filled the hallways and Lisa cursed herself for leaving the flashlight back in the room yet there was no way for her to retrieve it. The windows which cast a dim glow into the facility still had the metal bars on the outside of them that prevented no means of escape. No doubt another remnant of the decrepit asylum. Distantly, she heard footsteps echo against the floor and Lisa surveyed the room. Finding a nurses station in the center of the corridor, she pulled Jane into the tight space underneath the desk.

Silence seemed to fill the expanse of time as Lisa and Jane struggled to even slow their own haggard breathing listening intently for the footsteps that had seemed to dissipate within the quiet hallways. _Where are all the patients and the staff?_ Lisa thought as drops of perspiration appeared on her forehead. Jane squeezed her hand forcefully and Lisa looked into her frightened grey eyes. _I can't protect her from this. I probably brought my own nightmares to her._ She said to herself. "I'm sorry." Lisa whispered to Jane, shaking her head as she felt the inexorable guilt of putting her in this predicament.

_No, focus! I have to find the exit to the roof. _Lisa told herself. "Stay here. I'll be right back." She mouthed to Jane who nodded as Lisa slowly retreated from the small hiding place. Crouching low beneath the counter, her eyes gazed around the darkened passages as she searched for the inconspicuous exit. Quietly, she walked along the still corridor as the light seemed to get absorbed in the shadowy corridors and Lisa was forced to use her hands to guide her through the almost complete blackness.

She continued to stumble blindly, as she heard her footsteps echo faintly throughout the hallway despite her efforts to mask the signs of her presence. Her hands were outstretched as she desperately prayed to find the rooftop shaft despite her lack of vision. _There should be a doorknob at the end of the hall. _She thought hopefully.

Suddenly her hands came into contact with something solid and she suddenly let out a scream as arms wrapped around her. _Jackson!_ She thought as she tried to fight the iron grip that pulled her backwards into a soft, unyielding surface.

"Afraid of the dark, Lisa?" A chilling voice whispered into her ear.

_Crane! _Lisa's heart pulsated as she realized that despite the surrounding darkness, Crane had found her. Her muffled paces must have given her away. Instantly, she jerked her elbow backwards hoping to make contact with his abdomen. A scream tore through her as he seized her elbow in mid motion twisting it so painfully behind her back that she felt the bone come out of its socket.

She felt herself being pushed into a partially lit room with a brutal shove which sent her toppling to the floor. Hot tears of pain came to her eyes as agony shot through her already injured arm as it made contact with the hard surface.

He sat down in a chair in front of her, his expression remained indifferent to Lisa's torment. "Are you going to tell me where she is, Lisa?" He asked.

Lisa clutched her arm, gritting her teeth as she stared defiantly at him. "And who would that be?" She asked feigning ignorance.

"You will tell me, Lisa. It's just a question of how much pain you will have to endure between now and then." Crane said as the corners of his lips edged into a smile and she shivered knowing he would enjoy extracting the information out of her. _I can't do it. I can't give him Jane._

"No. I promised her I wouldn't let you touch her. Do you honestly think that I would simply hand her over to a sadistic bastard like you who has already spent months torturing her for your own personal pleasure? Damn it, Crane, she was only seventeen and what now? You want to finish breaking her? I'm not letting that happen." Lisa said firmly.

He sighed, standing up, removing a syringe from his pocket. "Lisa, it is hardly your concern what I choose to do with Jane. She belongs to me and despite the fact that Jane is not aware of it yet, she does need me."

Lisa's eyes focused on the needle feeling trapped by the insanity that seemed to surround her. She propelled herself backwards away from him as he stealthily advanced on her. Meeting his gaze once again, she forced herself to remain resolute. "You're the exact opposite of anything she needs, Crane." She managed to say as she felt her back collide with the wall.

Instantly, he seized her arm, wrenching it forwards as the contents of the syringe emptied into her vein and a cold fog started to wrap around her mind as Lisa became lost in the empty, soulless blue depths of his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jane had curled herself up under the small space in the nurse's station as she felt the weight of her surroundings pressing down on her. The silence around her was almost a palatable sensation that seemed to echo with meaningless whispers as she tried to press her body more firmly against the back of the wooden desk.

Angie was no longer here to protect her against the monster that resided under Dr. Crane's poised exterior. _Dr. Crane never really existed._ She thought. _Only Scarecrow._ She had seen his face in the other room although Lisa who tried to protect her told her it was someone else. _Someone just as bad._ Jane thought. The same features as Scarecrow twisted in dark malevolence.

_Lisa, where are you?_ She asked herself as every second in the dark corner she resided in felt like an eternity. Lisa had left her there to find an exit from the dismal prison which encapsulated them both but upon her departure the walls started to feel like they were closing in on her, ready to consume her. She trusted Lisa and her presence was reassuring to Jane but now that she was alone, the darkness surrounding her was an enemy she didn't know she could defeat.

A scream cut through the stillness of the room and Jane flinched from the sudden noise. Her heart palpitated in fear as she clasped her hands in a prayer stance as she surveyed the dim environment. A memory faintly stirred in her mind.

_And when you pray, I'll pray with you._

"Pray for me, Momma." Jane whispered as she quietly emerged from desk. She was no longer safe here. If Scarecrow had Lisa, it would only be a matter of time before he extracted the location of her hiding place. Noiselessly, she proceeded down the opposite corridor and as the shadows seemed to engulf her, her breaths increased rapidly as she felt panic resonate through her.

Arms suddenly grabbed her from behind as they attempted to press her wrists to her side and Jane reacted instinctively as she managed to pull one of her wrists free, forcing her body weight backwards against her assailant as she pivoted around to throw a jab directly into his face. The blow seemed to do little to stun him as he immediately caught her wrists, forcing them behind her back and Jane immediately went for his throat with her mouth sinking her teeth into his neck, managing to draw blood.

She heard a growl of anger emerge from the throat of her attacker as he immediately grabbed her hair yanking her head back as Jane stared in horror at the same icy, blue eyes that had become the source of her ever present nightmares. "No…Scarecrow." She murmured distantly.

"Not quite Jane but I'm only too happy to be the cause of your eventual reunion." He said maliciously as Jane tried futilely to pull herself from his grasp. A swift movement of his head suddenly caught her eye as his forehead suddenly collided with her skull causing Jane to succumb to the eventual darkness of unconsciousness.

**Notes:**

**Really want to thank all the reviewers plus Not Human and Royal09. I still think Crane can somehow see in the dark but that wouldn't be logical, would it? Hope everyone is sticking with me so far because the next chapter will get a little more intense as I will be alternating from different POV's of Bruce, Lisa and Jane.**


	32. Purging Fear

Lisa slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a windowless, white room as she felt the cold tile of the floor pressing into her back. She pushed herself into sitting position as she tried to remember what happened after Crane forcefully inserted the syringe into her arm. A gentle haze had taken over her mind and his voice had seemed to penetrate her consciousness as her body finally gave in to the depths of murky unconsciousness.

She heard a soft groan from behind her as Lisa instantly turned around to see Jane lying placidly next to Lisa. Noticing a dark bruise forming on the girl's temple, a wave of anger radiated through her. "Jackson." Lisa muttered darkly as she gently touched Jane's forehead..

Rising to her feet, she groaned in pain, as she grasped her injured shoulder. The bastard hadn't even bothered to fix it and she held her arm gently as she walked over to the door peering out of the wire protected glass which offered her only a small view of the cement wall in front of the room. Glancing around, she saw a camera lodged on the ceiling and she realized that they must be in one of the now abandoned rooms that were once part of the asylum.

Another stifled moan was emitted from Jane's prone figure as Lisa watched her eyes flutter open as she seemed to take in her surroundings in one glance. "My room." She heard Jane whisper.

Lisa knelt down beside Jane and helped her into a sitting position. "What do you mean?" Lisa asked.

"This was my old room. He put me here when I first arrived." Jane said as her gray eyes widened in disbelief. "For biting."

"You bit Crane?" Lisa asked. _Good for her. Bastard had it coming._ Lisa thought.

"Once, I think. I don't remember. But that was after he put me here. He said he was giving me the final dose because I refused to take his pills and...and..." She trailed off, shivering. "My arms wouldn't work." Jane murmured.

Lisa put her arms around Jane as she desperately wished she could protect her from what she knew was coming. _There has to be a chance. If I could just distract them, maybe I could get Jane to run for it."_

Footsteps suddenly resounded behind the door and Lisa felt her body tense as she drew Jane protectively to her side.

The door opened, as Jackson made his way into the room and gave Lisa and Jane a mocking glance. "Comfortable?" He asked acerbically as he rubbed the front of his neck. Lisa's eyes were drawn to his throat as she saw the wound that Jane must have imparted on him. _No wonder he hit her. Must of have really pissed him off._ The brief amusement she felt soured as she saw Crane enter the room and his blue eyes seemed to glitter as his gaze rested on Jane.

Jane shut her eyes tightly in response to his probing stare. "Jane." He said softly as he came further into the room to stand beside Jackson. Lisa detected an undercurrent of licentiousness beneath his habitually, frigid expression. "Did you miss me?"

Lisa gave him a look of utter hatred as she tightened her arms around Jane as she felt the girl tremble within her arms. "Scarecrow." She whispered, repeating the word again. "Scarecrow."

Crane turned towards Jackson as a smile crept onto his face. "How did you find her?" He asked.

Jackson shrugged lightly. "I tracked her down to the east wing by accessing some of the remote security cameras. She put up quite a struggle, Jon but hey, consider her a gift. She's all yours."

"Indeed, Jack. I suppose in trade you want the lovely Lisa Reisert to yourself?" Crane asked knowingly.

"It's only fair, Jon and we'll be parting company soon enough. Now you have your own souvenir to take home with you." Jackson told him, beckoning to the huddled figure that Lisa was striving to protect.

"No!" Lisa cried out as she glared at the two brothers. "Jackson, for God's sake, she's only eighteen. Look at her you bastard!" She screamed. "She's still in shock from what he did to her. Did you know that Jack? Do you even care? Are you telling me you are still that same soulless piece of shit that I met in the airport?"

Jackson met her glare with a look of cold indifference as his eyes rested on Jane. "You know what, Lisa. Maybe you're right and if that's the case, I have a present for you but before we get started, I think we need some time alone. What do you think, Jon?"

Crane smiled coldly. "I couldn't agree more."

Rapidly, Jackson seized Jane's arm yanking her out of Lisa's grasp causing Jane to emit a scream as she tried to tear into Jackson's hand that gripped her with her teeth. However before she could make contact with Jackson's palm, Crane's arms engulfed the small figure and Lisa watched wasting precious seconds, frozen in horror as Jane struggled against the very essence of her nightmare.

_No! I promised her. I promised._ Lisa thought as she leaped to her feet in the attempt to throw her body against Crane and break the grip her had on her charge. Before, she could reach him, hands suddenly gripped her arms as she was pinned against the wall of the tiny room. "Jane!" She screamed as pain coursed through her already injured arm. She fought wildly to free herself from Jackson's grip. She felt his knee being driven into her abdomen as both her wrists were captured in one of his hands. She groaned in agony as she felt his merciless grip pressing down on her shoulder. Struggling seemed to increase the pain. "No, Lisa. Don't fight me. You'll make it worse." He said insistently. Tears blurred her vision as she saw Jane being dragged from the room, her gray eyes filled with helpless dread.

"No! Jane, I'm sorry." Lisa cried out, feeling tears of frustration pouring rampantly down her cheeks. She could no longer struggle against Jackson's grasp as fatigue came in soft waves over her and Lisa could feel her body starting to collapse to the ground in pure exhaustion. She could barely feel Jackson's arms supporting her as he gently lowered her to the floor. "I had no choice, Lisa." She heard him whisper in her ear. "I couldn't take the chance of him hurting you again and I know Jon all to well. He would of done it just simply to spite me."

His released her wrists as she felt his fingers examine her injured arm. "I need to relocate the shoulder Lisa but I won't lie to you. It will hurt like hell when I do it." Lisa remained silent, trying to distance herself from her own self inflicted torment. She felt Jackson take hold of her shoulder with both of his hands and suddenly the pain she felt rapidly increased as she felt the waves of agony like fire coarsing down her arm as he swiftly wrenched her arm back into it's socket.

She moaned, feeling a wave of dizziness traverse through her as she sat on the icy cold floor feeling Jackson's arms wrap around her waist pulling her into an unwanted embrace. She didn't have the strength to pull away from the grip that encapsulated her. Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to wonder free of her cruel imprisonment where the only arms that held her were that of Bruce Wayne whose very image brought her feelings of warm security.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A dull ache pulsed through Jane's head as she felt herself being dragged through the dark corridor into a stark, white room reminiscent of her previous nightmares. Released finally, she huddled against the back wall hearing the audible click of the door being shut and the lock being thrown into place.

The elongated, metal table and chair was still placed in the center of the dingy room and Jane closed her eyes as she tried to recede into the safety of the depths of her mind.

_Scarecrow...the monster is back to haunt you._

Her breaths were shallow and she felt her heart race. She couldn't retreat into the dark chasm of her mind. That safety was denied to her.

"Jane..." She heard him say. "How nice to see you again. Didn't you miss me?"

She wrapped her hands over her ears to block out his voice as she tried to fool herself into thinking that she was caught in a unrelenting dream. A dark, lingering vision that wouldn't end. Her body jerked as she felt slender fingers graze her arm.

"Jane, look at me." The voice demanded insidiously as she felt an icy hand clutch her upper arm. "Don't make me force you." She shook her head clasping her ears tightly, willing the demon to vanish.

"Not real, not real." She murmured repeatedly.

Suddenly, her arms were torn away from her ears and her eyelids flew open in surprise as she found herself looking into the fathomless blue eyes of the monster who had darkened her past only to claim her future.

Terror paralyzed her as she saw him smile without the faintest trace of that expression reaching his cerulean eyes. "You remember me, don't you Jane. Indeed, you haven't forgotten how to bit, have you?" His hand became tangled in her hair as he brutally pulled her into a standing position. A slight groan was emitted from the back of her throat as he forced her into the metal chair. He sat down across from her as she stared listlessly at the table in front of her.

"Jane." His voice was soft, almost friendly. "You don't have to be afraid. I can help purge that fear from you. You were so close to your final immersion until Angel interfered with my efforts. But I can see that not all my work has been undone."

Startled at the sound of her friend's name, her eyes met his. "Angie. She protected me." Jane murmured as she started to remember the night as a clutter of still frame images which didn't cohesively fit together.

_We'll go and check it out together. Watch each others back right?_

Angie had watched her back that night and now she was gone. Jane only had herself right now as no unseen barriers stood between herself and the demon across the table. _Humans can adapt to anything, Jane._ Swallowing hard, Jane met his gaze. _I can adapt to anything._

"She protected me from you." She said to him. "From the psychopaths..."

_I'm not going to leave Jane to the psychopaths anymore._ Jane had heard Angie saying those words from a distance away. The words had barely registered to her at the time. She had been trapped, encased with another monster she couldn't remember.

"Where is she now, Jane?" He asked her chillingly, his tone holding a note of sarcasm. "Do you want to know what I did to her that night?"

She shook her head but he continued. "I purged her fear only to have her face the consequences of her hiding you from me. She resisted me and I had no choice but to make her suffer for her deceit. Such a shame that my work with her became undone in an instant."

_No, nothing happened to her. She's in Vermont._

Glaring at him with a sudden ferocity, her voice changed, becoming resolute and accusing. "Liar." She muttered.

"What did you say?" He asked her calmly, standing up as he walked over to the other side of the table where she was sitting.

"You're a liar!" She repeated in a louder tone, feeling a surge of anger swell through her.

He advanced on her, immediately seizing her arms, wrenching her from the seat as he pinned her against the wall. Removing a syringe from his pocket, he tightened his grip on her forearm. "We'll see who the liar really is, won't we Jane?" As he readied the needle to plunge into her vein.

_Help me._ She thought. Her mind was weary wanting to shut down at this brutal attack but Jane couldn't let him do this to her once more. He would get into her head again taking bits of her at a time, letting her die inside to his immense pleasure. She had already lost a part of herself to Scarecrow and the numbness that resulted from the torment she had endured resounded within her.

Instantly, she managed to lace her fingers around his wrist that held the needle as she drove her knee into his abdomen momentarily knocking the wind out of him. Twisting his grip on the syringe, she managed to grab it, plunging it into his own arm.

She sprinted to the door, unlocking the bolt and dashed out into the myriad of the corridors that surrounded the former asylum.

**Thank you once again to Not Human and Royal09 for their help with the chapter and thanks again to Not Human for lending me her characters. Also, thank you to all the people who have the time and patience to review my work. I appreciate it!**


	33. Life Line

"Lisssa…,Lissa…" A voice was calling her name as she was sinking into the depths of a welcoming doze. The tone became more insistent and her eyes fluttered open as she let out a gasp upon seeing Crane standing over her.

Lisa surveyed the room looking for Jackson finding his presence far preferable to Crane's menacing one. _Where is he?_ She dimly recalled him realigning her shoulder and then his tight, constricting embrace that had restrained her movements. Silence had followed and she had fallen into a light sleep dreaming of Bruce and the safety of his arms around her holding her close.

She attempted to use her hands to propel herself away from Crane but felt diffuse agony spiral up her arm as she tried to distance herself from his threatening form. Unable to suppress the groan that emitted from her throat, she gave him a withering glare. "What are you doing here? Where is Jane?" Lisa asked. "Finished tormenting her already or was she just no fun in her catatonic state?"

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Not at all, Lisa. Although the progression of our therapy has been briefly interrupted."

"Why is that?" Lisa asked as her eyes strayed to where Crane was rubbing his arm.

"Oh, poor thing. Did she bite you again?"

His eyes flashed with a glint of malice as he gave her a reproving stare. "No. In order to advance her conversion, I intended only to give her a measured dose of toxin combined with an effective sedative. She resisted my efforts. Fortunately, she did not hit a vein."

"Maybe she thought you needed some of your own medicine." Lisa said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Jackson is searching for her. She couldn't have gone far. In the meantime, I get to indulge in sometime with you in his little unexpected absence." Crane said chillingly

He knelt down as Lisa shrank back against the wall. She struggled to get into standing position however he moved rapidly and seized her injured arm pulling her back down to the floor as she let out a scream of pain.

His hand clamped over her mouth as he leaned in closer to her, his lips brushing her ear. "Perhaps I should try this out on you first. After all, Jane is a rare commodity. I don't intend to lose her and it's always good to have a test subject to assess any potential problems."

Lisa felt him tighten his grip on her wrist as the needle started to graze her skin when suddenly the door opened. "Jon, what the hell do you think you are doing? Get away from her." Jackson ordered.

Crane immediately relinquished her as she collapsed back against the wall, shivering in relief from the close call. Her arm throbbed from his previous insult to the injury he had already inflicted upon her.

"Merely distraction, Jack mixed with some boredom. You know that I have a hard time finding activities to occupy my time. Have you located Jane?" He asked.

"No. I was on my way to check the security cameras when I heard Lisa scream. You need to keep better track of your things, Jon and spend less time focused on her. You're starting to get sloppy." Jackson told him as he approached Lisa's huddled form and gently took her injured arm as Lisa weakly tried to pull it away from him. She groaned at the simple movement and her arm seemed to palpitate from the damage it already had to endure.

"Lisa, relax." Jackson said as his deft fingers probed her shoulder to determine that the bone was still in its socket. "It's just inflamed." He pronounced as he glanced up at Crane. "I need some cortisone for her shoulder."

Crane nodded and started to approach. "No, Jon. Just give me the syringe and leave." Jackson said unwaveringly. "You actually think I'd let you near her after what you have just done?"

"I would consider letting me do it, Jack. You have to insert the cortisone in the correct area or else you may inflict nerve damage. But by all means, give it a try. It will be mildly entertaining to see her in agony from your inept efforts." Crane told him calmly as his eyes flickered on Lisa.

Jackson gave him a lingering stare filled with utter malevolence and then sighed, finally coming to a decision and nodded reluctantly as Crane removed a narrow syringe filled with a clear fluid from his briefcase. As he started to draw closer to Lisa, she frantically tried to get to her feet.

"No! There could be anything in there, Jack. He's lied before." Lisa said as she pressed her body to the wall farthest from him.

Jackson glanced at her and then stuck out his hand to his brother. "Let me see the syringe first." He ordered.

Crane gave it to him as Jackson carefully examined the contents and turned to her. "Lisa, this is cortisone. I've had Jon give it to me before in fact, coincidently not long after I met you. You'll have to trust the fact that I wouldn't lie to you." Jackson said as Lisa shook her head, closing her eyes. "Leese, if you don't hold still, he might miss the tendon and hit a nerve. Don't make this more complicated then it has to be."

She shuddered as she felt Crane grasp her arm. As he gave her the injection, she muttered under her breath, "One day, if Jane doesn't kill you, then I will."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jane's bare feet slid across the tile floor as she surveyed the maze of corridors that stretched out before her. The partitions clearly blocked off all possible exits and the flashlight she managed to grab from the cabinet over the nurses station cast only a diffuse glow throughout the shadowy hallways.

Her mind flashed back on his words. _The words of a demon. Scarecrow._ She thought. He couldn't have hurt Angie as she always had an enduring, inner strength. The one person among those he tormented who stood up to him. Who once thought she loved him only to realize that monsters can't really love you back. They possess you from the inside feeding off your emotions until you're tricked into believing in the illusion that their obsessions are forms of attraction.

_I think he fancies me._

She shivered at what those words meant. There was no spark of vitality or compassion in those cold blue eyes. _He's soulless. He never had one to begin with._

Suddenly, Jane heard footsteps behind her and she immediately jumped into the nurse's station by the partition and finding an empty cabinet, she pressed herself into a tight ball and closed the door, switching off the flashlight.

"Jaane…" His voice seemed to resonate around her. "I know you're here, Jane." His tone was laced with an icy contempt. "Don't make me find you myself. You will only delay the inevitable. Finishing our therapy is critical."

She trembled, pressing her hand to her mouth and putting her head in-between her knees. The footsteps dissipated finally but Jane felt like she was suffocating in that small, cramped space. Instantly, she opened the cabinet door and started to dash out of the station only to slam into another body.

Gasping, she stumbled backwards as an arm reached out to steady her. She yanked her arm back as she seized the offender's wrist to aim her foot into the attacker's knee. She gasped in surprised as he managed to sidestep her and pin her arms in front of her, pressing her against the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head as panic constricted the breathing within her chest.

"Relax. I'm not with Jackson Rippner or Jonathan Crane." A soothing voice said as Jane opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar face. "I'm Agent John Harrington with Homeland Security. I'm here to…"

"Right on time." A distant, cold voice said behind them. "Thank you for retrieving her, agent. You have my complements."

Jane gasped as her elbow was seized pulling her away from the agent's protective grasp as a hand encircled her neck. "Ah, Jane we have much to discuss in our next session, won't we?" The image of Scarecrow danced in front of her.

"Crane, let her go. You said you wouldn't touch the hostages until we have finished negotiations. Can we get to it? We have much to discuss." The agent said as he tried to reach for Jane.

Crane gazed at him coolly refusing to release his grip on Jane's arm. "Agreed. But I will keep her nearby until we have completed our discussion. We have our own set of terms that you are not entirely aware of."

Jane felt betrayed as she was dragged back into the depths of Arkham and she desperately tried to turn around to cast a pleading glance back at the agent with a look of pure despair and hope. "Help me please!" She cried out. For now, he was her only lifeline out of this hell. Out of her nightmare.

Agent Harrington was unable to respond feeling helpless as he watched her disappear into the depths of the circuitous building. She was only eighteen, the same age of his daughter Jenny. Just a child really forced to grow up too fast in a world she didn't understand. _This is going to be a long day._ He told himself wearily. As much as it disgusted him, he was forced to bargain with the devil that had created the weapon which in a matter of hours would infect the entire city.

**Thank you to all reviewers especially those who helped provide future plot concepts. Special thanks to Royal09 for all the e-mails back and forth and her suggestions. Thanks to Not Human for being an encouragement with each chapter for the generous lending of her OFC's Angie and Jane.**


	34. Negotiations

"This is really unnecessary. We wouldn't inflict permanent damage to our hostages. It would be unprofessional." Lisa heard Jackson say. She glanced at Jane, whom since her return to their cell sat curled up against the wall, her eyes closed as she rocked gently in a simple rhythmic movement. _What did he do to her?_ Jackson and Crane hadn't volunteered that information but she knew at least that Crane didn't have the opportunity to put anymore of the toxin into her system.

The door opened and Lisa's eyes widened to see a stranger enter the room, as he glanced at the two women sitting before him. His eyes fell on Jane who seemed to be lost in a world no one else could see. "What happened to her? When we spoke on the phone, you told us that the hostages wouldn't be harmed. Clearly, she's in shock and needs medical attention."

"Which is why my brother is with me. Despite some of his more bizarre tendencies, he is certainly capable. Besides, Jane hasn't been injured. So, are we going to get down to business, Agent Barrington?" Jackson asked. The agent nodded slowly. "So, what's the delay?"

"I want to have a moment to talk to them first, Mr. Rippner." He said in response.

"Sure, after we are done with the negotiations." Jackson said firmly.

"Mr. Rippner, I will talk to them now or our negotiations are finished. We do not make it a habit to bargain with terrorists but these are exceptional circumstances. It will only take a moment." The agent said.

Jackson smiled coldly at him. "Five minutes, Barrington and I expect no further interruptions after that." With those words, he walked out of the door, closing it behind him.

"Who are you?" Lisa asked immediately as the agent stepped closer to them.

"My name is Agent John Barrington. I'm with Homeland Security and I've been assigned to negotiate with Mr. Rippner and Dr. Crane for an end to the crisis." He explained kneeling down on the ground in front of Jane. "Honey, are you all right?" Jane flinched at the sound of his voice but remained silent.

"She had PTSD, agent. Crane had his idea of fun with her before you got here. Are you here to help us? Are they going to let us go?" Lisa asked.

"I'm hoping to reach a peaceful resolution, Miss Reisert. They said they are willing to release all the hostages if their demands are met. I will do the best I can to bring this to a peaceful resolution." He said.

"Are there other hostages?" Lisa asked uncertainly.

"Yes. What I don't understand is why they are keeping them in a separate location from you. But, regardless, we have several thousand lives at stake so we will do the best we can to neutralize this threat." He answered.

"Wait…several thousand lives? You're not just talking about those of us trapped in the facility, are you?" She demanded.

"There has been a threat against several cities from terrorist agencies that Dr. Crane has supplied with a pathogenic form of his toxin which have been sealed in timed canisters in those various locations. The timer can be halted by a remote access code which only Crane is aware of. We have intercepted a warning by the organization that Crane has sold his product with assistance of Jackson Rippner who is familiar with the various leaders of the terrorist networks." Agent Barrington explained.

"Oh my God." Lisa muttered, as the horror of the situation dawned on her. "You're not actually thinking of letting them go, are you?" The agent remained silent. "You can't."

"Miss Reisert, my first concern is for the lives of everyone in this city and the lives of the hostages. Getting the two of you out of here is my priority. But believe me, we will not let them simply just walk away from this." He said reassuringly.

"Is Bruce here?" She asked as a puzzled expression crossed the agent's face. "Bruce Wayne. Is he still downstairs?"

"I don't know. I'll check on that." He said. Footsteps sounded outside the door as Jane's eyes flew open and she huddled closer to Lisa. "Please…, not again." She murmured as Lisa took Jane's cold hand in hers.

The door opened as Jackson and Crane walked into the room. "Times up, Barrington." Jackson said. "Are we ready to get down to business?" He asked.

The agent stood up and offered Lisa and Jane a weak smile as he followed Jackson out of the room. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He said as he walked out the door, leaving Lisa and Jane to ponder their fate which lay in the hands of two soulless madmen who killed without forethought. _God help us all._ Lisa thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce Wayne had Lucius connect to the satellite relay in hopes of scanning the city for traces of the toxin in hopes of isolating the organic compounds that would reside in the explosive devices.

"I don't know, Bruce. I can't seem to find the device in the midst of all the electronic interference in the city. You're asking for the impossible." Lucius said, his voice weary with fatigue.

"Consider it an adventure." Bruce responded smoothly trying to keep the worry out of his tone. They had been isolated down in the underground basement of Wayne Enterprises for the last two hours. He got up to stretch as he glanced down at Lucius who was desperately trying to find the biochemical weapons. He didn't fully understand the complexity of what he was asking to have done but he knew that Lucius doing the impossible might be the only way for Gotham to survive.

"I'm getting some coffee. Do you want any?" Bruce asked and Lucius shook his head.

Shrugging, he made his way up the stairs to be welcomed by the irritating beep of his cell phone reminding him he had a message. The downside of working underground was that the cell phones never received signal and Bruce was usually left with ten messages to sort through. Accessing his voicemail, he listened for a moment and felt shock steal over him as he heard Gordon's voice explaining that Lisa and Jane were currently being held hostages in Arkham by two men that were suspected to be Jonathan Crane and Jackson Rippner.

_I should never have left her there. _Bruce thought as he sprinted to his car and sped home first. He would have to be prepared this time. He headed towards the secret access to the cave within the depths of his home. This time, he would have the upper hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This wasn't part of the deal." Agent Barrington shouted, standing up to tower over the two men as his fist pounded on the table.

"Suck it up, agent. We never made a deal. I said we would be willing to release the hostages. I didn't say which ones." Jackson said, leaning back in his chair smiling darkly at him.

"I'm offering the two of you immunity and safe transportation out of the country. We are being considerably generous. Homeland Security will not agree with selling our own citizens into enforced servitude. We are not slave traffickers." He said as rage filled his voice.

Crane raised his eyebrows. "Really?" He asked coldly. "So, when Homeland Security willfully sold individuals to governments who specialize in torture, was that just a clerical error on the paperwork? We are well aware of the Government's actual activities so despite you're predisposition to be horrified at what we are suggesting; perhaps you would be well served by looking into a mirror. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

Barrington was grinding his teeth in frustration. "Look, we'll give you full immunity and resources to start in any country you choose. You can't have Lisa and Jane."

Jackson's smile disappeared as he cast the agent an unswerving glare. "I don't think you've been listening to us, Barrington. Lisa and Jane will come with us or we have no deal at all. This is non-negotiable."

The agent felt disgust surge through him as he stared at the two contemptible men. His instincts told him to use force and threaten them within and inch of their lives to get the disarming code but he had his orders directly from the head of Homeland Security. He had no choice but to relay their demands and wait for an answer.

His cell phone rang and he answered quickly. "We can't waste anymore time on this. Make the deal." His supervisor instructed.

Barrington felt shock overcome him at what he was being asked to do. "But sir, you know what they want…."

"Yes, we do but we are out of time on this one and we can't afford to take chances of a failed interrogation. Make the deal and provide them an escort."

"Just a moment…" Barrington turned to Jackson and Crane feeling utter revulsion for what he was about to do.

"I've been told to tell you that we agree to your terms." He muttered.

"We want to see a copy of it, signed by the President sent to me and our attorney." Jackson said unwaveringly. "I for one, refuse to take chances."

_How can they live with themselves? How can I live with myself?_ The agent wondered as he listened to his supervisor speak on the phone. He loathed having to tell the two innocent women in the cell about their fate and watch the hope in their eyes disappear. But this was his job and if it took two lives to save a hundred thousand, the government would consider it acceptable losses. _God bless America._ He thought sarcastically.

"The contract is on its way." He told them, closing his eyes briefly so as not to see their self satisfied grins of a victory that they knew was theirs.

**Just wanted to thank my reviewers for all their comments and suggestions. I'll do the best I can to include requests as long as they are in character the way I developed them. Thank you to Not Human and Royal09 for their second opinions and helping me out with character development.**


	35. Out of Control

"Jane? Are you okay? Did Crane hurt you?" Lisa asked as the girl finally opened her grey eyes and sat up to lean against the cement wall.

She glanced at Lisa nervously. "No. But he was going to inject me with…." She paused. "I don't know."

Lisa took a deep breath as she put her hand on Jane's arm. "Just hold on. We're going to get out of here. You heard what the agent said. He's negotiating for our release."

Jane nodded in response as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Only a year ago, Jane had just been another high school student content with the fact that college was only a few short months away. Her mother had been so proud when she got accepted to Northwestern University on scholarship. Of course, Jane had to work part time as a waitress to save up for school but her excitement was short lived.

If only she hadn't taken a short cut through the Narrows to get home as she commonly did and had accepted the ride that her manager offered that particular night. She had been so confident that her self defense classes would ward off any possible threats that she walked through the park, unconcerned until she saw a man approach her. Her memories were fuzzy at that point as she seemed to remember two faces looming over her. One of the stranger who approached her asking for a cigarette and then the other of Scarecrow. The faces seemed to collide with each other as she tried to sort through the memory of what was real and what was illusion.

"I can't sort things out, Lisa. My memories don't make sense." Jane said as she turned to Lisa.

"Do you want them to?" Lisa asked absently thinking of everything she had endured. The trials of the past seem to cloud her mind as she remembered the feeling of being pinned down on the pavement with a knife at her throat. Then she met Jackson Rippner and her carefully structured life was thrown into disarray. The tragic events of the past were ones she longed to forget as she desperately wanted to move on.

"He'll always be there in mind whispering to me. Taunting me." Jane whispered. "I can't get rid of him. He knows my fears…"

"Jane, despite whatever he does to you, he doesn't know you. He wants to break you and you can't let him. He's just a man. Remember that and he won't have that power over you." Lisa said firmly. "I told Jackson once that I would never let it happen again."

"Let what happen again?" Jane asked, turning to Lisa.

"Four years ago a man, a perfect stranger attacked me in a parking lot, in broad daylight." Lisa whispered.

"Did he…?" Jane asked tentatively.

Lisa looked down, her eyes automatically pinned to the scar which was amplified beneath her blouse from the cut Crane had inflicted on her several days ago. "He held a knife to my throat. I couldn't move and I thought he'd kill me." She paused and took a deep breath. "Two years later, I met Jackson on a red eye flight from Dallas to Miami. With the exception of my parents, he was the first one I told about the rape."

"Why did you tell him?" Jane asked as shock became evident on her expression.

"He already knew Jane. He saw my scar and I could tell that in his eyes he knew. I gave him the details as a means to distract him. To show him that I had the control, not him." Lisa said firmly.

Jane nodded listlessly, quiet as her expression became contemplative. Lisa collapsed on the hard floor, staring up at the white ceiling. _How could they put Jane in here for weeks at a time?_

Footsteps echoed outside the door and Lisa sat up instantly as Agent Barrington walked into the room, his face appeared troubled as he gazed at Lisa and Jane.

"Are the negotiations finished already?" Lisa asked. Misinterpreting his grave expression, she asked "You're going to let them walk, aren't you?"

He sighed in response and was momentarily silent. Jane seemed to wake from her brief stupor. "When do we get to leave? You are getting us out of here, right?" She asked.

The agent sat down on the tiled floor. "We can't let you leave yet." He said finally.

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked, as dread started to creep up her spine. _Something is wrong._

"In order for Rippner and Crane to agree to give us the disarming code and release the other hostages, well, we need you to go with them for the time being." He murmured.

"What!" Lisa asked as she leaped to her feet. "No. I refuse. We can't do this. Did you tell them that?" Jane was struck silent as she gazed at the agent in shock.

"It's the only way to save all those lives. Think about it, Lisa. It will only be temporary. I am going to place a tracking device on their vehicle and one we get the code for the weapon and disarm it, we'll have you out of there, I promise." He said reassuringly.

"You're promises aren't worth shit to me, agent. You don't know what they'll do to us!" Lisa cried out as she put her hands to her head.

"I won't let them touch you, I swear." Barrington said.

"No, I can't! We can't. Just let us go." Lisa said as she grabbed Jane's hand and tried to walk past the agent to the exit.

He put a restraining hand on her arm. "I'm sorry. I can't do that. Like it or not, we need your help." He said softly as he glanced at Jane. "I don't like doing this or putting both of you in this situation. I have a daughter her age and she just had a bad experience at work the other night. Nothing like what you are going through but she's in shock as well. She's planning on going away to college in the fall just like Jane was so I know how hard it is for you to accept. What I'm asking you both to do is difficult but I will do the best that I can to ensure your safety." He turned to walk out of the door.

Suddenly, Jane reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please don't do this to me. Scarecrow will kill me. I know he will. He takes pieces of my life everyday. Please!" She entreated.

A cold voice came from behind the agent. "Jane, I expected so much more from you. Begging is really quite beneath you." Crane said in a detached tone as he entered the room and gripped her elbow. She tried to pull it away but he simply squeezed her arm tightly, his fingers digging into the bone and Jane let out a soft whimper of pain.

"Dr. Crane, you assured me that you wouldn't harm either of them." Agent Barrington interjected as Crane proceeded to drag her from the room.

He cast the agent a wintry smile. "I will not inflict permanent harm to Jane. That is all I promised. My methods of therapy are perhaps radical from your perspective but they are quite effective. Now, I believe you have overstayed your welcome."

The agent left the room reluctantly and as he looked back at Lisa, regret filled his eyes. Lisa immediately propelled herself forwards after Jane. She still had to protect her but before she could reach her, hands instantly gripped her shoulders. "Don't you think we should give them some time alone, Leese?" Jackson asked as his palms traveled up her neck. "Besides, now you belong to me just as much as Jane belongs to him. One day, you might enjoy having me around just as much as I know I'll enjoy you." He whispered luridly into her ear.

"I'd kill myself first." Lisa said, feeling disgust creep through her. _Is that how I will live? As a slave to his whims?_

"I think I know you better then that Lisa. Besides, I'm not one to take any further chances by letting you near sharp objects. Not when I still need you." He told her.

She shivered in revulsion and closed her eyes. _We might still get out of this. Bruce help us. _ A thought suddenly occurred to Lisa. "The other hostages, Jack, where are they?"

"Why do you care, Leese?" Jackson asked, the cold blue orbs of his eyes penetrated hers.

"Maybe I want to make you haven't lied, Jack and started to use them for target practice. Didn't you say you were always a lousy shot?" Lisa asked snidely.

She was awarded with a vicious slap across her face which caused her to reel back into the wall. His hand seized her elbow dragging her from the room. "You know what, Leese? I'm tired of these pedantic games you insist on playing. Despite the fact that you claim to hate everything about me, I know you crave a certain amount of darkness in a relationship. If not, then ask yourself why is it the man you claim to care about dresses up as an overgrown bat and disappears into the night to deal with common criminals. What makes him so different then me?"

"He's not a killer, Jack and he never once has hit me or threatened my family. The first time we met, you told me you would kill my father if I didn't help you kill the Keefe's. They always say that you only have one shot at making a good first impression. Bruce has never had to threaten me." She said bitterly.

"Give him time, Lisa. He's a vigilante. It would have only been a matter of time before he became judge, juror and executioner." Jackson said shaking his head as he dragged Lisa into a room filled with television monitors.

"And that's what you are? So, tell me, what was Charles Keefe's crime?" She asked.

"That wasn't up to me to determine, Lisa. I merely do my job and move on." Jackson stated dispassionately.

Grabbing a remote off the table, he pressed a button as the monitors came to life. Lisa was able to determine that the hostages were all located on the second floor and they seemed relatively panicked but unharmed. She closed her eyes in relief and just as she was about to look away, she caught sight of a monitor in which Crane was clearly visible.

"Oh my God." Lisa said gasping as she saw him approaching Jane who had been tightly strapped to a chair, with a syringe in hand. "No!" She screamed as she ran to the door desperate to intercede.

She was tackled, as her body went forward, she slammed her head against the hard cement floor. Dazed, but not unconscious from the impact, she could feel Jackson on top of her turning her gently so she was lying on her back. "No, please help her. Please!" She pleaded, her words slurring from the blow she took to her head.

Jackson gripped both her wrists in one hand as he switched off the monitor that focused on Jane and gently caressed Lisa's face. "It's out of your control, Leese." He whispered coldly in her ear as his palm traveled to her forehead, stroking the fresh bruise that appeared on her temple. She turned her head away, yearning to escape the nightmare of his monstrous gaze.


	36. Breaking Point

A pulsating headache pounded through Lisa's skull as Jackson put an arm around her waist pulling her back up to a standing position. "Time to be heading back, Leese. I have business to attend to." He said.

Lisa was pleased to find that despite the impact to her head, the only repercussion was the headache. She could deal with the pain of the minor throbbing in her skull. If the dizziness had persisted, she would have lost this opportune moment. Pretending to stumble out of the room, she felt Jackson's grip tighten around her waist as he guided her back to the room that she and Jane had occupied.

This was her last chance before he locked her in the room again. Lisa put her hand to her head and blinked her eyes rapidly as if she was trying to focus and walked directly into the wall beside the door frame. "Oh, God my head. I can't see." Lisa murmured as she leaned against the wall for support.

Jackson paused and took both her arms guiding her into the room where she allowed her body to collapse on the ground as she put her hands to her head groaning in pain. He stood over her, reaching down. "Let me see, Lisa." Evidently worried that she suffered a concussion.

Instantly, Lisa seized her moment as she grabbed his extended wrist and pulled down hard. Knocked off balance, he toppled to the ground as Lisa leaped up quickly and dashed through the door. She closed it behind her and twisted the lock into place. Only moments after she had done that, the door shuddered as the weight of his body was slammed against it.

Lisa backed away from the door. _I don't have much time._ She thought as she desperately surveyed the outer corridors for an object to be used as a weapon. Spotting a door labeled **Janitorial Closet**, she immediately opened it to find a couple mops along with chemical cleaning agents. She seized one of the mops and ran down the corridor. The monitor had listed the room that Jane was in as 316 and she rapidly approached it. She rapped on the door hoping that Crane would think it was Jackson and upon hearing his soft footsteps, she flattened her body against the wall as she held the mop in both hands waiting to strike.

The door opened and Crane emerged from the room with a puzzled expression on his face. Lisa acted quickly and slammed the heavy end of the mop into his forehead and then struck his legs. His knees buckled as he tried to grab the end of the mop and wrench it from her grip. Lisa aimed a kick to his chest as he finally collapsed to the ground. She leaped over him into the room to where Jane was sitting, strapped tightly into a chair and swiftly freed the girl, pulling her into standing position.

"Did he…?" Lisa started to ask and Jane shook her head.

"No, he was about to. He was whispering to me about how the toxin was going to release me. He kept talking to me and it never made any sense." Jane said shivering.

"We have to get out of here." Lisa said as she pushed Jane in front of her who stepped over Crane who lay prone on the floor. As Lisa followed Jane, a hand suddenly gripped her ankle and she turned to look behind her to find Crane struggling to get up as his hand that encircled her leg tightened.

Trying to pull her foot away, she gripped the doorway. Jane froze, watching the struggle. "Jane, run! Hide!" Lisa yelled but she refused to move. Quickly, Jane picked up the mop that was abandoned in the hallway and brought the wooden end down hard on Crane's wrist. He instantly released her ankle, groaning in pain as Lisa seized Jane's outstretched hand and took off in a sprint down the corridor.

"Where is Crane's old office?" Lisa asked as they circled the hallway. Jane gazed at her as if Lisa had suddenly lost her mind.

"On the other side of the building. Why? We can't go in there!" She exclaimed, shaking her head.

"It's the last place they'll look for us. Think about it. They'll be looking for us near the fire escape and we only have a minute or two lead and we don't know how to get there. Crane's office probably contains a diagram to the building and there won't be a security camera in there. It would buy us some time to form a plan." Lisa explained, panting from exertion.

Voices echoed down the corridor and Jane's eyes widened. "This way." She said pulling Lisa's arm as they dashed down the passageway which led to an office at the end of the hall. Lisa tried the knob and with a sigh of relief, found the door was open. Quickly, they ducked into the room closing and locking the door behind them.

The office was sparsely decorated and was relatively untouched since Crane's departure from Arkham. "Look through his filing cabinets." Lisa said as she yanked open one of the metal drawers. In there she found patient files and out of curiosity she opened them. There were pictures of the prisoners that were committed to the facility the ages ranging from fifteen years to forty. "Test Cases" were stamped on the front of each of the files and Lisa started to feel sick to her stomach when she saw the word "Case Terminated" written neatly across the top. At least forty men and women were in this category and attached to the back of each of those files was a death certificate signed by Crane.

Lisa let the files fall from her hands feeling a mix of disgust and rage at all the patients that had lost their lives to Crane's obsession with fear. "Oh God!" She murmured. Jane turned to her from the file she was rifling through. "What is it?" She asked picking up one of the files that Lisa dropped and her face went pale. She tossed the file aside and turned back to her drawer.

"Did you know that this was happening?" Lisa asked her.

Jane nodded, leaning against the cabinet. "He was never one to keep secrets, especially from his patients. We were his possessions and I remember hearing the screams every night. The next day, there was one less patient in the common room." She swallowed hard. "We belonged to him. Once you are sent to Arkham, you are never released. He'll never let you go."

"Not anymore." Lisa said as she tossed the files back haphazardly in the cabinet. She opened up another drawer to find a cell phone. _Probably Jackson's. _A smile broke out on her face as she quickly grabbed it and started to punch in Bruce's number. _It's not a map of the building but it's just as good."_

Suddenly, she heard a pounding on the office door and Jane let out a soft gasp as she jumped backwards. "Jane, hide. Quickly." Lisa said.

Jane looked uncertain. "I can't. They'll see you and…"

"And it won't matter. They know one of us is in here. If you hide they might think it's just me. We both have a better chance of getting out of this if you are free. Please Jane. You can help both by doing this." Lisa said softly.

Nodding, Jane squeezed her body under the small desk as Lisa hurriedly called Bruce. The pounding on the door was getting louder. The flimsy dead bolt wouldn't last for much longer. She put the cell phone to her ear as she heard the phone ring. _Bruce pick up please._

Suddenly the phone was answered. "Bruce Wayne." Lisa nearly cried in relief at hearing the sound of his voice.

"Bruce, it's me Lisa." She said quickly, staring at the door fearfully as the crashing sound got louder.

"Lisa, I know about Arkham. What floor are they holding you on? Did you escape?" He asked, his tone was low.

"I'm in Crane's office but they are right outside the door. I don't have much time. Homeland Security has made a deal with them. Crane has the code to dismantle the weapons that are going to release the toxin." She said rapidly. "That's not it though."

"What is it, Lisa? Have they hurt you? Do you know what their plans are?" He asked.

The door was coming open as she spoke. "Oh, God, they're here! Homeland Security has sold…" Lisa said as her wrist was seized and the phone was torn out of her hand. "No!" She screamed as she was forced against the wall. Jackson's voice resonated from behind her. "Impressive, your little diversionary tactics Leese. I really have to hand it to you." His hand encircled her neck. "Now, where's Jane."

Lisa let out a snort as she tried to use her leg to jam it into his shin. He sidestepped her while at the same time launched a powerful kick of his own to her knee. Crying out in pain, she collapsed onto the floor where he straddled her pressing his thumbs to her windpipe. "Where is she?" He asked.

She glared fiercely at him and she tried to pull his hands from her throat. He immediately seized her left wrist and suddenly pain flared through one of her fingers as she let out a partially stifled cry. "There are 206 bones in the human body. That's one of them, Leese. Imagine the pain if I were to break just ten more of them. Now, tell me where Jane is." Jackson demanded.

Crane stepped into the doorway, glancing at Lisa with the same expression of callous disregard. "I must question your methods, Jack. If you let me take over, I would've received an answer by now."

"She is not your responsibility Jon. I will deal with her in my way." Jackson stated sharply. "Now, Lisa, what's it going to be?" He asked as he seized another one of her fingers.

"Go to hell, Jack!" Lisa said venomously. His face contorted with rage and Lisa cried out again as a distinct snapping sound was heard. "Monster." She whispered.

"Where is she, Leese?" He demanded and she took a deep breath. It was her only chance. "I…we…" Jackson gripped another finger and tears coursed down her cheeks. "We split up so in case you found one of us. I told her to hide and then make her way to the fire escape when the coast was clear." She lied praying that Jackson would believe her. _It's not really a lie. I'm just omitting certain facts._

Jackson's weight lifted off her. "You had better not be lying to me Lisa. I'll be extremely disappointed and then you can find out what a therapy session with Jon is really like. He's been so eager to break you down once more." Lisa let out a barely suppressed shiver as she was yanked up from the floor and dragged out of the office only to be thrown into the windowless cell one more.

Collapsing on the ground, she prayed desperately that Jane would find a way out. "Bruce, please help me. Help us." She whispered as she closed her eyes against the agony that radiated through her.

**Just for those of you who are asking, Batman will be coming into the scene shortly. Anyway, thank you Royal09 for helping to point out plot holes and bouncing ideas off of and thank you Not Human for your constant encouragement and the use of your characters.**


	37. The Blame Game

Lisa sat against the wall of the cell seething in agony from the pain of her broken fingers. She clutched her hand instinctively as she tried to breathe through the throbbing ache that radiated through her entire hand.

The cell door opened as Jackson came into the room. "What? You want to break more fingers Jack?" Lisa asked bitterly. Silence permeated the room as he stood there gazing down at her and then inclined his head to Crane who stood right behind him. At that gesture, Crane advanced towards her and Lisa managed to get to her feet, backing away from him until her back hit the wall.

"I swear I don't where she is." Lisa said desperately. _Not anymore anyway._ Glancing back and forth at the two men, she instantly took off for the door when a swift, hard kick to her legs caused her to topple to the ground. She screamed as her already injured hand came in contact with the cement floor. Distantly, she heard Jackson's voice. "Not bad, Jon. I guess all those martial arts classes didn't go to waste."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jane had let out a shiver of relief as the two men departed from the office with Lisa in tow. Hearing Lisa's screams of agony almost propelled her out of her hiding place but she ground her nails into her palms. _It's a chance. Not a good one but still a chance._

Timidly, she peeked around the corner of the desk to make certain no one was lying in wait for her to emerge from behind the little safety the piece of furniture offered. Finally assured that the room was empty, she stood up and for the first time noticed that the window in his office had no bars on it. Peering through the glass, Jane swallowed. It was a three story drop to the unforgiving pavement however; the window's ledge offered a slight opportunity. _It's a way out. It's better that then waiting to die in the hands of Scarecrow._

Seizing a wooden chair at the side of the office, she rammed it into the window, breaking the glass only to hear the high pitch of an alarm resonate throughout the building. _Shit!_ Jane thought as she carefully climbed onto the ledge and carefully lowered her body to the second floor window ledge while holding onto the support the third floor ridge offered her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Don't be afraid, Lisa." Crane's voice whispered in her ear as he swiftly pinned her to the ground. "I'm here to help you."

"Like hell. You're just pissed off because I won't tell you where Jane is." She said as she fought the grip he had on her while looking up at Jackson pleadingly. His eyes seemed strangely blank. Within their depths, she sensed a glimmer of reluctantly.

"I thought you didn't know where she was, Lisa." Crane said mockingly to her. _Damn it._

"Jack, please. You said you wouldn't let him touch me." She said entreating on any part of humanity that was left inside him.

"I never lie, Leese. You are only suffering from the natural consequences of your dishonesty. Have you changed your mind?" Jackson asked witheringly.

Lisa looking despairingly at Crane whose eyes glinted with malice and longing. She shuddered in dread at the thought of what he had in store for her when suddenly a high pitched alarm sounded breaking the tense silence that had filled the room.

Instantly, Lisa felt Crane's weight lift off of her as he opened a device that resembled a PDA. "She broke the window in my office." He reported tonelessly as he strode out of the room. Lisa managed to scramble to her feet only to have Jackson seize her arm as he brutally shoved her against the wall. "Oh no you don't Lisa. For now, I want you all to myself." He said maliciously as he stroked her hair. "Did you think you'd walk away without suffering from the consequences of your actions, Leese?"

She gasped in pain as he gripped her injured hand dragging her into the outer corridors. His arm was wrapped tightly around her as he propelled her towards the elevators. Inserting a key, the chamber began it's descent to the second floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jane felt the tip of her feet touch the ledge of the second story window. She would have to swing herself into the ledge and let go of the third floor overhang. Taking a deep breath, she swung her feet inward towards the window and released the top ledge.

Instantly, she stumbled and let out a scream as she fell backwards. Her hands instinctively clutched onto the cement border which impeded her fall momentarily. Her palms were sweaty and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold on for long. _Momma help me. God help me._ Even from the second floor, she was still at a high enough distance that the asphalt would cause her serious injury and no one would see her fall. She was hanging from the back of the facility which was deserted.

The second floor window was suddenly thrust open and Crane carefully stepped out on the walkway. Instantly, he seized her wrist as Jane let out a cry of protest. She pulled her other hand off the ledge feeling pain sizzle up her left arm which Crane was holding onto with fierce determination. But the hand holding hers was getting slippery with perspiration. He used his other hand to reinforce the grip on her arm but was unable to pull her up by just one arm alone.

"Jane, give me your other hand." He ordered. She gasped and shook her head as tears of pain filled her eyes.

"I'd rather take my chances with the cement." Jane managed to say.

"Jane, I'm not going to let go of you. I will pull you through this window and it's really a matter of how much pain you want to be in when I do." He told her simply. "Now, give me your other hand."

She looked up at him helplessly. Time stood in the balance. Even if she fell, he would without a doubt retrieve her and she would be powerless against him with the injuries she would incur. _I can't let him take me…but how much worse will it be if I fall? Angie, you said we'd stick together. Why aren't you here to help me?_

"Last chance, Jane." He warned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa was stunned to see Dr. Cole among the hostages, still alive despite his injuries. She glanced up at Jackson feeling at loss for words. _At least Jackson didn't kill him._ She thought.

"Maybe you can explain the situation to him, Leese." Jackson said mockingly to her as Dr. Cole looked up at the two of them fearfully.

Lisa shook her head. "Explain what?" She asked.

"You can explain that because of your actions, he has to die today." Jackson said as he removed the k-bar from where it was sheathed.

She looked at him with utter horror on her face. "Jack, no. If you want to blame someone, blame me, not him."

"That's a nice thought, Leese. Really compassionate of you but I can't kill you after all the effort I went through to make certain you belong to me. However, every time you resist me, one of the hostages will die. Can you live with yourself, Lisa with their blood on your hands?" He asked derisively as he started towards the doctor.

She instantly grabbed his arm trying to pull him away from the doctor whom was frozen in terror. Jackson merely wrenched his arm loose of her weak grasp and shoved her backwards sending her sprawling on the floor. "Jack, please stop…" She pleaded.

He turned to her as a look of rage engulfed his expression. "Stop?" He asked and instantly he was on top of her straddling her legs, pinning her body to the ground as she futilely struggled against him. "I already have several times by sparing you from Jon and what do you do Leese?" He asked as he pressed the knife to her throat. Lisa panicked at that moment as memories of the rape flooded through her as she tried to use her legs to propel him off of her.

"I'll answer that." He said softly. "You gamble with your life, Jane's and the hostages. Obviously threats don't affect you as much as a demonstration would." He turned to Dr. Cole. "Doctor, do you have anything to say to the woman who is responsible for why you have to die today?"

Dr. Cole's face was pale as he glanced at Lisa and then glared at Jackson in disgust. "Yes." He said as he struggled to sit up. "That she's not responsible for the piece of shit you turned out to be. You decided that on your own."

Furious, Jackson released Lisa turning to the doctor, his face livid as he advanced towards him, his knife ready at his side. In one last desperate attempt, Lisa launched herself forwards throwing her body weight on his legs in order to knock him off balance.

Jackson stumbled but righted himself as he turned to Lisa. "Don't want to see the show, Leese?" He asked as he yanked her up by her hair. "Suit yourself." Before she had time to react, his head came crashing down on hers and she collapsed backwards as darkness mercifully enveloped her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jane was experiencing a split moment of indecision as her life seemed to hang in the balance when suddenly she felt Crane grip her other arm, his fingers curling around her bicep. She gasped as he wrenched her shoulder upwards.

"I can't wait forever Jane." He said as he pulled her up on the ledge, his arms encircled her chest pinning her hands to her side as he maneuvered her through the window. She stiffened in his forced embrace as he held her pinned effectively in his grasp.

A voice radiated from outside the room that was filled with urgency. "Jon do you have her yet? We need to leave now. An intruder broke in on the third floor and we are about to have some company."

**Thank you Royal09 for all her feedback about plot concepts and medical knowledge and thanks to Not Human for lending me her characters.**


	38. Trailing Shadows

Jane was pulled into a standing position and dragged into the outer corridor by the man she had compulsively called Scarecrow. After the illusions were ripped away, she could see the real distortion was not the mask he wore, nor the toxin he used to expose the fear of others. The darkness was inside him which had consumed Dr. Crane so his reality was now split between two facades and two names.

She had been forced to face the source of her nightmares and now she could only rely on her own strength to tear herself from his insatiable thirst for her terror.

Struggling against his grasp, she was forced into the hallway where Jackson had emerged carrying an unconscious Lisa in his grasp. "What did you do to her?" Jane asked sharply.

"Nothing permanent but we need to leave. Jon, does Barrington have the car ready in the back where we agreed and is everything ready at Gotham Field?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, we'll take the exit in the back. He'll never find it in time. The plane is ready to depart when we arrive." Crane said as he inclined his head. "This way."

He gripped her elbow as he attempted to propel her to the end of the corridor. _No! We need to stay here if there's a chance of being rescued._ Desperately, she launched her foot backwards hoping to come into contact with his knee but he deftly sidestepped her, pivoting around so they were face to face.

"Jon, we don't have time for this!" Jackson whispered fiercely as Jane aimed a jab directly into his face.

In mid-air, Crane grabbed her wrist, shoving her against the wall pinning her with the weight of his body as he removed a syringe. Her eyes widened in fear as she shook her head in protest. "It's only a sedative, Jane. I'm sorry but we cannot afford any further delays." He whispered as the needle pierced the sensitive skin of her wrist.

The tranquilizer was clouding her mind as she felt her body being lifted and then the world was upside down. She emitted a moan as a wave of dizziness consumed her. "Sleep Jane." Was the last thing she heard before she gave into the induced slumber.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Cole was slipping in and out of consciousness after the bastard had stabbed him. He knew by the blood that was pooling around the floor that it would be a matter of minutes before he would be unable to fight the lethargic enticement that sleep would offer him.

The voices of Crane and Jackson had echoed loudly down the hallways. They were worried about something and were abandoning the facility. He gasped feeling the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. _More time. Please more time._ He pleaded silently.

He jerked awake again when he felt someone staunching the flow of blood by pressing gauze into the wound tightly. "What…?" He murmured as he opened his eyes, startled to see Batman kneeling over him.

"Stay with me, doctor." Batman told him, his voice low, almost a whisper yet it resonated to the doctor's very core. He could only nod weakly.

"Help is coming. Where did they take Lisa and Jane?" Batman demanded.

Dr. Cole shivered violently unable to stop. "Everything's numb." He mumbled as he started to close his eyes again.

"Doctor!" The voice exploded in his consciousness and he tried to focus on the distorted image in front of him. "Do you know where they are?"

"Going to Gotham Field. Said the plane was ready." Dr. Cole managed to say. "He tried to blame her for stabbing me…"

As darkness started to consume him, he saw medics circling around him whispering. "Still a pulse. Needs surgery."

Batman towered over him momentarily watching the paramedics' efforts to save his life and then he faded away quietly into the ensuing chaos.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Agent John Barrington was thankful for his sudden dash of forethought to have the GPS device hidden on the car right after negotiations were completed with Rippner and Crane. They had left with the two unconscious women in their possession earlier then anticipated and despite the fact that Homeland Security had ordered him to let them depart, he simply could not allow two innocent civilians to suffer horribly at the hands of obvious psychopathic killers.

_This job keeps getting worse and worse._ He thought. If it wasn't for his daughter, Jenny, he would have lost his sanity long ago when his wife died suddenly leaving him a single parent.

Jenny had mourned quietly the loss of her mother and became a source of strength for John as he struggled in the past five years to divide his time between work and his remaining family. At times he felt he did neither well but despite the long hours he put in at the office; Jenny had risen above her grief and had received an offer of a scholarship from Stanford University for a theory regarding a possible source of free energy which she had outlined in her college application.

He shook his head because science had never been his forte and a headache would inevitably occur whenever Jenny rambled on about her concept. Today he would have preferred the headache. There were days he simply wished he had never gotten out of bed. From the night Jenny had been confronted by Jackson and Crane in the drug store where she currently worked, it had been one crisis after another. He hated the fact that he was forced to bargain with the two killers whom were equal to terrorists in his eyes but regardless, he had a job to do.

He jumped into his car and opened the lap top on the passenger seat making certain the tracking device was working. Satisfied that the beacon was functioning, he started to drive following at a distance so as not to alert the two murderers up ahead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We've been tagged." Jackson's voice radiated to the backseat in which Lisa woke to a blinding headache and dull pain in her fingers which reminded her what had happened. She let out a groan as she sat up, putting her right hand to her temple feeling a wave of nausea go through her.

Her left hand felt heavy and she glanced down at it to find that her two damaged fingers were splinted with two pens and pieces of athletic tape that kept the pens in place. A bag of ice had been wrapped around her hand.

Jackson turned around to face her as she huddled against the window, rubbing her forehead. "Awake so soon?" He asked contemptuously as he saw her looking at her hand. "Don't you love the sense of irony, Leese?" He asked indicating the pens that were used as splints. She glared at him but remained silent refusing to engage in a conversation with the bastard who had just killed a man whose only crime was helping her and Jane to try and escape. "Aspirin?" He asked, shaking a bottle of tablets in front of her.

She grabbed the bottle and swallowed two with the bottle of water he tossed to her. For the moment, a clear head was more important then her pride at simply refusing. Feeling movement, she turned to find Jane unconscious in the back seat with her. She had stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes.

"What did you do to her?" Lisa said feeling a surge of disappointment that Jane wasn't able to escape Arkham. Noticing the bruises and abrasions on her arms, she must have apparently put up quite a struggle.

"Merely a sedative. She was reluctant to accompany us and time was not on our side." Crane said serenely.

Lisa's abdomen started to ache from taking the aspirin on virtually an empty stomach and she leaned forward slightly pressing her arms to the sensitive area. "Where are you taking us?" Lisa demanded as she looked behind her only to see that dusk had fallen on practically an empty road.

"What? You don't want to be surprised, Lisa? I for one love surprises." Jackson said with a menacing grin as he turned to Crane. "Pull over. We need to part company with our friend behind us." He said as Crane turned to the side of the road.

Lisa could make out the headlights that were quickly approaching from the distance. The other driver, upon seeing them at the side of the road immediately hit the accelerator to drive past them however Jackson must have anticipated this. He removed a gun from his belt taking careful aim and fired. Lisa gasped as the tire blew out causing the car to spin off to the side of the road coming to a halt in a nearby field.

"And to think Lisa that all those trips to the gun range weren't worth the expense. I was a lousy shot before but practice makes perfect." Jackson said as he started to step away from the car towards the stranded vehicle. "Time to teach our visitor the proper rules of negotiation."

**Well, the ending isn't far away! Only three to four chapters to go. A big thank you to Royal09 and Not Human for their constant support. Also I want to thank all of the reviewers. **


	39. Futile Gestures

Lisa watched in horror as Jackson advanced toward the other car which had crashed into the field on the opposite side of the road. Crane leaned casually against the side of the passenger door glancing at his watch as if the scene was a mere annoyance to him. _It probably is._ Lisa thought.

She watched as a man emerged from the damaged vehicle, stumbling away from the wreck as he saw Jackson approach. "Agent Barrington," She heard Jackson say. "I believe we refused an escort."

Her mind flashed back to the compassionate agent from Homeland Security. _He was following us. He really wanted to help us._ Lisa realized. Immediately, she wrenched her door open and got out of the car. "Jackson!" She called out as she started to run towards him. Jackson didn't even glance backwards. "Lisa, get back in the car." He ordered.

"No! Don't touch him. Jack, please!" She cried out as Jackson looked back at her briefly. "This is business Leese. Don't confuse business with compassion." Immediately, Lisa threw her weight on his back wrapping her slender arms around his throat as she desperately tried to deter Jackson from his ruthless intent.

Instantly, Jackson's weight fell against her and she stumbled backwards as he ducked beneath her arms and seized her wrists. "Jon, take care of it." Jackson said beckoning to the agent as he dragged Lisa back to the car.

She fought wildly against him as he wrestled her against the car and pinned her to the side door while Crane proceeded methodically towards the agent whom was walking unsteadily down the road apparently injured from the crash.

Lisa attempted to use what freedom she had of her legs to knee him in the crotch but he managed to sidestep her, while slamming his own leg against her ankles. "Don't fight me on this Lisa." He whispered to her as she struggled futilely against him.

As Crane approached the agent, Barrington's eye's widened upon seeing the canister in his hand. He immediately reached for his gun that usually was by his belt only to find it missing. _I must have left it in the car._ He looked at Crane who smiled diffidently at him. "Looking for something?" He asked maliciously as he came closer. "You realize, Mr. Barrington that you maybe one of the first individuals to sample the pathogenic toxin that you had us dismantle. Poetic justice in a way, isn't it? Since you failed to keep your end of the bargain by attempting to relieve us of Lisa and Jane, why should we keep ours?"

"Dr. Crane," Barrington tried to plead. "Please, I have a daughter. Her name is Jenny. I'm the only parent she has left. Without me, she'll have no one."

"In that case, it's a shame that Jenny can't be here to witness this." Crane said in response as he manipulated the scarecrow mask over his face, spraying the contents of the canister at Barrington before he had a chance to respond.

His screams suddenly rented the air and Lisa heard Crane's voice as he rejoined them at the car. "That didn't take long. Almost disappointing really. It's a shame we can't give the message to his daughter in person."

_His daughter...Jenny._ Lisa remembered him talking about her and the unmistakable glint of pride that shone in his eyes. Then she remembered the conversation with Bruce as she recalled the young woman who had tried to protect her in the drug store. _Her name is Jenny and she's fine._

"Oh my God. You freaking bastard! He had a daughter!" Lisa shrieked. There was no doubt in her mind that Crane had used a potent form of his toxin and the agent's mind would've been consumed within moments.

Jackson gripped her arms as he propelled her back inside the car. "They all do, Leese. Suck it up." He said as pushed her back into her seat and slammed the door closed behind her. _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jenny._ She thought as she buried her head into her arms allowing quiet sobs to rack her form.

Lisa felt a gentle hand on her arm and she looked up to meet Jane's soft grey eyes. Lisa tried to smile for her benefit but she was unable to manage it. "I understand." Jane said simply as she put an arm around Lisa's shoulder. In the expanse of hours, Jane had found strength within herself to endure and Lisa felt overwhelming gratitude at the comforting gesture.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What do you mean he went off on his own?" Jenny demanded, her sweaty palm gripping the cell phone. She had been unable to reach her father during the past two hours and had a weird feeling that something was terribly wrong. Now she had just received word that her father hadn't reported into the local branch of Homeland Security after completing his "work on the field".

Since she had been interrogated and attacked by the two men in the drug store which she was currently employed, she became acutely aware of her environment, almost to the point of paranoia. Her manager had given her a paid week off from her job after she had come home from the hospital but with the security guard always lingering nearby, it was hard to get back into the swing of normal activity.

Panic coursed through her as she listened to her father's partner, Tim speak. "Jenny, we are doing the best we can to find him and most likely it's nothing serious. Please relax. I'll let you know when he calls in." He said before he disconnected.

_If he calls in._ She thought. Jenny shook her head. _Tim is right. You're losing it. It's not as if Dad has never been home late before._ She told herself and she tried to sit down at the kitchen table and concentrate on the outline for the practical application of her theorem. Her father always seemed a little disinterested in the complexities of her concept. His eyes seemed to achieve far away stare as she discussed the obstacles that stood in her way. _Where are you, Dad? I wish you were home._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lucius, do you have access to a high speed helicopter?" Bruce asked upon hearing Lucius' voice on his cell phone.

"First you want to do cave diving and now you want to be a pilot, Mr. Wayne? By the way, I heard that the weapons were dismantled. I assume you weren't directly behind that." Lucius said grimly.

"No, I wasn't. But I need access to a helicopter and information from the Air Traffic Controller about commuter and private planes currently in flight." Bruce demanded. _Hang on Lisa._

He would never make it to the private airport in time to stop Crane and Rippner from taking off. The best chance he had was to pursue their plane in hopes of doing a rescue over the Atlantic Ocean. It would be a calculated risk but if he allowed the plane to land at their destination, the two men who had a habit of disappearing would drag Lisa and Jane along into the shadows with them.

Bruce pulled into the private entryway of Wayne Enterprises and immediately ran into the basement. Lucius raised his eyebrows at his appearance but turned back to look at the computer monitor. "We're all set."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa's heart sank as the car pulled into a nearly deserted private airport. Internally, she had prayed that Bruce would be waiting there poised to attack Jackson and Crane, thereby rescuing them from this nightmare. _He wouldn't know where to find us anyway._ She thought as she glanced at Jane whose eyes seemed focused on the seat in front of her.

The car eventually made it's way to a strip of airfield where a private ExecuStar Jet waited, it's engines already humming and Lisa swallowed the lump that was growing in her throat. Once they were on the plane, there would be nowhere to run and no chance of escape.

Crane parked the car and Lisa slowly stepped out surveying the area. Aside from the pilot, the airport was empty with a quiet stillness that she found unsettling. All plans of a last desperate attempt to run were dashed as Jackson seized her elbow and jammed the pistol into her side. "Are you going to behave, Leese?" He asked softly.

Tears formed in her eyes as she looked up at him quickly and then focused on Jane who stumbled out of the backseat with Crane gripping her arms in the attempt to keep her steady. _No doubt still having after effects of the drug he gave her._

"What other choice do I have?" Lisa asked resignedly. "Whatever I would try to do wouldn't make a difference.

She was being sold into a life of slavery away from her family, her friends and from Bruce. Just the thought of what could have been between them caused her chest to constrict as the overwhelming grief that eclipsed her heart gave way to a steady numbness of unreality.

As Jackson prodded her forwards to the plane and up the stairs to the cabin, she managed to turn around despite the grasp he hand on her arm to take one last look at the life she was leaving behind. The faint lyrics of a song passed through her mind.

_Once upon a time there was light in my life_

_Now there's only love in the dark_

_Nothing I can say but total eclipse of the heart_

"Goodbye Bruce." Lisa whispered before following Jackson onto the plane.

**I apologize for the random song lyrics you'll sometimes find in my stories. I'm a singer and I can't help inserting a few lyrics of song that appeal to me and feel applicable to the story. A big thanks to Royal09 for her suggestions on this chapter and to Not Human for lending me her characters. The lyrics above are from Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler. Also, I may have mentioned before that I was going to use a Learjet as the escape plan but realized that wouldn't be satisfactory for air and stall speed. I want to be as accurate as possible!**


	40. Shards of Misery

Lisa sat huddled in the airplane bathroom using those few stolen moments to allow the tears she had been suppressing to come unhindered. She pressed the palm of her hand to her face to keep the torrent of her sobs from leaving remnants on her blouse. There was no way she wanted to give Jackson the satisfaction of seeing her in this pathetic state but she felt utterly helpless.

The plane had been in flight for a little more then an hour and Lisa managed to sequester herself in the tiny compartment for the last twenty minutes unable to stand the leering presence of either man as they celebrated their victory. Jane had mercifully fallen asleep due to the powerful tranquilizer that was still running its course in her system. Lisa wished she could fall into that forgotten realm of dreams and never wake up to the horrors of reality.

The fact was she had been sold into a life of enforced servitude and prostitution. Although Jackson claimed he wouldn't rape her, Lisa pondered as to how long he would keep that promise. _How long will I last?_ It would only be a matter of time before she would eventually give into him. She knew Jackson well enough to know that he would break her a little each day and more each month until the fire inside of her that kept her strong would burn out.

She glanced down at her scar, running her fingers along the blemished piece of skin. _I just wanted to be free from all this hell._

A rapid succession of knocks sounded from outside the door. "Lisa? Are you all right?" Jackson asked through the barrier that divided them.

The pure absurdity of the question almost engendered a laugh from Lisa. _Well, gee, you kidnap me, drug me, kill in front of me. Oh yes, everythings peachy._ "Go away!" She yelled as she put her head in her hands.

Jackson sighed. "You've been in there for nearly a half an hour. You need to eat, Leese. I've had the flight crew prepare..."

Clenching her teeth, Lisa raised her head and cried out once more. "I'm not hungry. Go away, Jack!"

"Sorry, Lisa. Can't do that until you come out." He said.

She let out a piercing scream of rage and slammed her right hand against the mirror with such force, shards of it broke off and dug into her palm. Blood startled to trickle from various small wounds caused by the tiny fragments of the glass. Lisa was almost fascinated by the rivulets of blood that seeped from the damaged flesh and she reached out with her other hand to awkwardly clench a large piece of the mirror that had fallen into the sink with her unbroken fingers.

_If I do this, then I can be free. I'll just go to sleep._ Lisa told herself as she lowered the sharp edge to her wrist.

"Lisa! What did you do? Come on, Leese. Open the door!" Jackson shouted. "Fine, have it your way." Almost at once she heard a clicking sound against the door.

_I don't have much time. _Lisa thought as she dug the shard into her wrist hoping to strike a vein as she watched the blood stream slowly down her arm.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce was immensely grateful for the pilot lessons he had taken under Alfred's encouragement. Indeed, he had only flown the a helicopter a few times because of the expense but he would not be able to pursue an aircraft without it.

The computer of the helicopter was connected to the air traffic controller and he knew that he was slowly gaining on the Execustar jet. After that, it was a matter of specific timing. He would have to bring the aircraft down gently and hope that the two men would open the emergency escape doors. Once all passengers were in the water, Bruce would be able to retrieve them. He considered the idea of leaving Jackson and Rippner to a fate of a watery grave but he shook his head to abandon that thought remembering Rachel's words.

"_Justice is about harmony. Revenge is about making yourself feel better."_

He left his former mentor to face his death, knowing the price he would pay for his own inaction. Now faced with that same dilemma, the path ahead remained terribly uncertain.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The door was forced open as Lisa was still gouging her wrist with the shard of glass from the mirror. Jackson instantly seized her wrist that held the shard, squeezing it painfully causing her to drop the jagged weapon. "No..." She moaned. "I can't...please." Her words made little sense as she collapsed to the floor, pressing her bloodied palm to her face causing red tears to drip onto her white blouse.

Jackson immediately knelt down beside her as he carefully put his hand on her back to draw her closer. Instinctively, Lisa shuddered and jerked away, shaking her head. "No, leave me. Just leave me." She mumbled.

"Lisa, shh. It's okay.." He said soothingly as he put his arm around her back and another underneath her legs, lifting her up. She pressed her bloodied hand against him, trying to dislodge herself from his grip. He was unaffected by her weak protests as he carried her out of the lavatory to the large cushioned seat in the middle of the plane. Putting her down gently, he retrieved some kleenex and pressed it to the wounds. The thin tissue was getting soaked and Jackson berated himself for allowing her to be alone, unattended for so long.

"Problems?" Crane asked calmly and Jackson turned to him. "Lisa cut herself in the bathroom." He responded shortly.

She closed her eyes so she did not have to endure seeing Crane's face looming over her. A stifled gasp escaped her lips when she felt his cold hand encircle her arm pulling it upwards. Her eyes flew open as he removed the tissue from the laceration and examined it. "She barely missed the artery." He murmured. "Lucky for her it's not serious but she'll need stitches and there is still glass embedded in the wound sites that needs to be removed."

"I wish I had hit the artery." She murmured. "I'd be gone and wouldn't have to see either of your faces again."

"No, you'd simply be unconscious and helpless. It would make it infinitely simpler for me, Lisa. Would you like me to complete what you failed to do?" Crane asked callously.

"Jon...!" Jackson said warningly as Lisa glared at Crane.

"Go to hell." She said scathingly and she attempted to jerk her wrist back. His grip became tighter as his fingers pressed down on the damaged skin. She let out a cry of pain. "Manners, Lisa." Crane said.

"Jon, fix her wrist and back away from her." Jackson said, putting a heavy hand on Crane's shoulder.

Crane shrugged as he opened the first aide kit that Jackson had retrieved, pulling out a needle and filled the vial with a clear solution. "Now, Lisa, this is probably going to hurt. At least I hope so."

She closed her eyes at the sting of the needle as he injected the solution into her wrist. _It's just liticaine."_ She told herself. _He's just trying to get a rise out of me."_

Lisa kept her eyes shut as he finished the stitches on her wrist and dug out the pieces of glass in her palm. After he cleansed and bandaged the wounds, he stood up, glancing at Jackson. "I would keep her away from any bathrooms in the near future. Excuse me."

Jackson muttered a not so silent oath. "I hate that creep."

"Why?" Lisa asked tiredly as she opened her eyes. "I thought he was your brother."

"Blood has nothing to do with it, Leese. He's a sadistic killer. He murders for entertainment." Jackson responded.

"And how is that different then what you do." She asked sharply. "Oh wait, you only kill when the price is right. That makes it so much better."

Jackson turned and gripped her shoulders pressing her against the back of the seat. "Wake up, Leese. The world isn't black and white. There are an infinite number of shades of gray. I kill only to advance our cause. To create anarchy so people can step up instead of being afraid. Fear breeds repression, Lisa and I attack those who work to continue to keep that fear alive."

He released her suddenly stepping back. The steady rhythm of plane had slowed somewhat and Lisa could feel the aircraft starting to descend. She looked at Jackson incredulously. "Are we there already?"

Jackson and Crane had refused to state where they were heading although Lisa knew it was somewhere in Europe by their conversation. But the flight had only been underway for a matter of a few hours.

"No. Somethings wrong." Jackson replied as he strode off to the pilots cabin. Immediately, Lisa got to her feet and went over to where Jane was sleeping. She shook the girls shoulders prodding her awake. As Jane opened her eyes, Lisa whispered. "Get up. Somethings happened to the plane." The words barely escaped her lips as a tremor shook the plane causing it to lose more altitude. Lisa clenched the arm rests beside Jane's seat, her heart rate increasing. _Oh God, what now. Please help us._ She prayed as the plane seemed to descend a little more each minute and Lisa's mind reached an inevitable conclusion. They were going to crash.

**We're near the ending but it's taken a few more chapters then I expected. Oh well. Anyway, thank you Royal09 and Not Human for all your help.**


	41. Descent

Jane leapt off her seat as she turned to face Lisa as her gray eyes became glazed with a look of sudden terror. "What do we do?" She asked her as she put her hand on the aircraft wall to steady herself against the rocking of the plane.

"They're are parachutes in here somewhere. We need to grab them and open one of the emergency exits." Lisa said as she started to search the plane for supplies knowing as meticulous as Jackson was, he wouldn't leave anything to chance.

"You mean we have to jump?" Jane asked fearfully. "I can't...I don't know how.

Lisa turned to her. "Jane, I've been afraid of flying for as long as I can remember and it scares the shit out of me too but we have no choice. If the plane hits the water, the impact alone will kill us." She looked under the seats towards the front of the plane and felt a wave of relief as she found parachutes equipped with life jackets.

Tossing one to Jane, Lisa carefully put hers on which was not an easy task with both her hands being injured.

Jane had only just started to unzip the life jacket so she could slip it over her shoulders when she heard a chilling voice echo from behind her. "Leaving so soon, little Jane?"

Instantly, she pivoted around to see him staring at her, his pale empty eyes gleamed beneath his glasses as he approached her. "Scarecrow." She whispered. _No, he's just a man. A monster but still a man._ She told herself.

He smiled in response as he stealthily approached her. "I see not all our therapy has gone to waste, has it Jane?"

"That was not therapy. You used me." Jane said backing away, her voice trembling.

"Ah, but you needed me to use you. You still do." He said.

"Crane, get away from her." Lisa said as she suddenly jumped forward brandishing a knife she had managed to retrieve from the stack of utensils piled on a nearby table. Her hold on the knife was weak due the self inflicted wounds on her hand but she swiped at him regardless. Gracefully, he stepped backwards in anticipation of her attack, grabbing her wrist that held the knife at the same time. Rapidly, he yanked her forwards causing her to lose her balance as she fell forward, cracking her head against the arm rest, collapsing dazed on the floor.

"Lisa!" Jane cried out as she ran towards her only to have his arms encircle her waist. A tremor through the plane caused them both to stumble to the ground as he fell on top of her, his lips pressed against her neck as he pinned her arms to the floor rendering her struggles against him as useless.

"_Jane, you were always my favorite patient."_

A memory flickered in her mind from her past. Scarecrow's distorted image over her as his weight pressed against her pinning her down as his lips desperately searched her own. The very event had sent her mind spiraling into a vortex where she found comforting refuge against the harshness of reality.

He pressed a hand to her mouth, forcing her head back as she tried to twist away from his unyielding grip. "No biting this time." He whispered into her ear as his lips found their way to her throat. She moaned in protest as his mouth trailed to her rib cage.

"_You're not the same. No, you're changed now. I changed you."_

"Not true." She murmured against his palm. "Not anymore." The plane rocked once more with the sudden turbulence of descent as she sank her teeth into his finger. A coppery taste filled her mouth and she gagged momentarily as he jerked his hand away. Forming a fist, she managed an awkward punch directly into his cheek as he emitted a small growl of pain within his throat.

The plane shuddered causing Crane to roll to the side and Jane found herself momentarily free as she struggled to get to her feet. He was already standing and coming towards her again at a rapid pace. She barely managed to duck away from his grasp as he leaned fowards to tackle her once more. Sending a kick to his legs that caused him to stumble, Jane ran to Lisa's prone form, trying to shake her from her stupor.

"Lisa, get up. Please get up!" She begged as Lisa let out of groan of pain. Jane's left arm was grabbed as she was yanked away from Lisa. "Jane, it's never that simple. We have to finish what we started." He said as he gripped the loose cotton of her t shirt forcing her against the aircraft wall.

_Like hell._ She aimed a right hook that caught him directly in the nose as she heard a distinct cracking sound. He collapsed to the ground with a howl of pain as he clutched his nose. "You changed me once but no more. I won't let you do it again." Jane said as she took deep ragged breaths.

A gentle hand clutched hers as she turned to see Lisa standing next to her with the discarded parachute and life jacket in her hand. "We need to go." She said softly, pressing her hand to her temple. "I need you're help to open up the emergency door."

Jane shuddered at the thought of jumping from the plane into the void that lay beneath. "Are we at a safe enough distance to jump?" She asked.

"I can see the ocean below and the parachutes provide some level of steering. We can do this Jane. You can do this, I promise." Lisa said as she glanced at Crane's still form. Blood was still seeping from his broken nose and his eyes were shut. Despite the circumstances, Lisa couldn't help but smile. The bastard deserved some agony after all the pain he inflicted on others.

Together, the two girls headed over to the emergency door at the side of the plane and disengaged the lever. Holding on to the seat for support so neither of them would suddenly be ripped out of the plane by accident, they pulled off the barricade. The enourmous vacume of wind that faced them took Lisa's breath away as she braced herself next to the only exit available to them. Her stomach clenched as she stared at the enormous distance between the plane and the ocean. _I don't know if I can do this._

Turbulence shook the aircraft again as it dropped suddenly pitching Lisa forwards almost causing her to fall outside. _I have too._ "Jane, we don't have much time. We need to go. Just pull the cord right in front as soon as you clear the plane." Lisa advised her.

"You've done this before?" Jane asked hesitantly.

"No, not really. I just read the directions on front." Lisa admitted meekly and Jane let out a harsh laugh she didn't feel. Clutching Lisa's hand they stepped towards the edge when Lisa sensed movement out of the corner of her eye and she turned to look behind her. Crane was moving forward, his expression a fixture of rage as he reached for Jane who was just making her first step out of the aircraft.

_Jane, forgive me._ Lisa thought as she instantly shoved the girl forwards out of the door. A scream pealing from Jane's throat, she fell from the plane clutching the cord in front of her life jacket as an arm suddenly went around Lisa's neck, pulling her backwards into the cabin. The pressure from the open shaft was causing various objects to fly around chaotically nearly blinding Lisa as a napkin flew directly onto her face. Gasping, she pulled it away fighting the grip Crane had on her neck. Her damaged hands were of little use against his the strength of his arms as he pinned her to the floor, his blue eyes leering from above her.

"I've been saving this for a special occasion." He murmured softly as he pulled a length of cord tied in a slip knot. _No, not like this._ Lisa thought as her hands went up wildly, pressing against his face. With one hand, he managed to pin her wrists overhead as he slipped the rope over her neck. He pressed his face close to hers and she could feel his lips on her cheek as he tightened the rope around her neck.

_I can't breathe...can't breathe. _She shook her head wildly beneath him as he continued to tighten it around her throat. She gasped for air as he stroked her eyelids. "Yes, Lisa, keep those beautiful green eyes open. I want to see the life fade from them as you die. It's only fair, isn't it Lisa? You take my prize from me then I can take Jackson's. A life for a life."

Darkness was starting to cloud her vision and she felt herself slipping away into the murky depths of unconciousness. _I'm going to die. I wanted this only a few minutes ago but now..._ It didn't matter. Peace was stealing over and she was no longer resistant to the encroaching blackness. It would take her to a place where she would never feel the burden of any pain or fear. _I'm finally going home._

**_I know, terribly mean of me to leave it on this cliffhanger. But hey, only two more chapters and the story is over until the sequel. Thank you Royal09 and Not Human for all your input!_**


	42. Changing Course

Jackson Rippner had been spending the last several minutes in the cockpit coming to the same conclusion that his pilot consistently told him was evident. "The controls are jammed, sir. We need to evacuate."

Jackson slammed his hand against the side wall. "Someone is freezing the controls from the outside. This does not just happen by coincidence." His life had always been spent dealing with logic. All logic was produced from facts and it was illogical that the maneuverability of a plane would sudden freeze in mid air. _An electromagnetic jammer. That's the only thing that could be interfering with the controls. _"How long before we hit the water?"

"I can keep the plane up for maybe another ten or fifteen minutes but then we'll need to leave. If we get below a thousand feet, it will be unsafe to jump." The pilot informed him.

He rubbed his forehead but was momentarily thankful for his foresight in packing parachutes for all passengers equipped with radio transmitters. _It will be a simple matter of getting one of the associates here to pick us up and then…_

"Sir, an emergency door has been opened. Should I lower the oxygen masks?" The pilot asked.

_Lisa._ No, get everything together. We're leaving. I'll let the others know." Jackson said as he headed quickly back to the main cabin.

The force of the vacuum created by the open emergency door nearly knocked Jackson off his feet but he gritted his teeth and proceeded forward. "Jon? Leese? We need to get out of here!" Jackson yelled as he approached the back of the cabin. He froze in horror to see Crane bending over Lisa's limp form, his face pressed to hers as he tightened a piece of cord viciously into her neck.

"Shit! Jon stop! Get off her." Jackson asked as he used his body weight to slam against Crane shoving his brother off of Lisa. Crane was up immediately as he came forwards only to be felled by a swift kick to his knees. Seizing the k-bar from his coat, Jackson sawed the rope from Lisa's neck. Her face was still as her eyes rolled to the top of her head. _Damn it._ "Come on Leese, don't do this to me." Jackson as he felt for her pulse. It was weak, barely there beneath his fingertips but as he tilted her head back and listened for breathing, he found that she wasn't moving any air.

"Jon, what the hell have you done? She's not breathing." Jackson said to Crane who was attempting to get to his feet.

"Then my work is nearly done." Crane said with a smile of sinister intent.

Jackson took the moment to gaze at his brother. "You'll never change will you Jon? You kill for pleasure rather then necessity."

"And you kill for business and yet you equate yourself better then me. Where is the logic in that Jackson? At least I mix business with pleasure." He responded coldly as he carefully made his way towards Jackson.

Instantly, Jackson's grip on his knife shifted as he plunged the weapon into his brother's thigh. Crane screamed in pain as he launched a fist into Jackson's face causing him to fall backwards. _I have to get Lisa out of here._ He thought as he grabbed Lisa's arms dragging her close to the exit. Suddenly, a sharp instrument was wedged into his shoulder and he fell over Lisa's body. He gripped the handle of the knife and pulled it from his back, seething in pain.

Blood was soaking the back of his shirt as he unsteadily got to his feet to face his brother. The identical image of himself reflected back at him but there was no life or vitality within his twin's eyes. Only malice and a rage born of pure indifference.

That anger propelled Crane forwards as he bolted towards Jackson in the attempt to push him out of the escape hatch. Jackson immediately dropped to his knees, moving his upper torso to the side as he swung his arm out, plunging the knife deep into his brother's abdomen, a definitive killing stroke. Crane fell forwards, his blue eyes glazed with shock as he looked at Jackson in disbelief.

"You can't kill me…"Crane sputtered as blood surged past his lips and down his mouth. He coughed, choking on the solution as he glared at Jackson with pure loathing.

"I just did." Jackson stated harshly and with one brutal shove he sent his last remaining member of his family spiraling towards the watery depths below. "Goodbye Jon." He muttered, shaking his head. _What a waste._

He immediately knelt down at Lisa's side and was momentarily thankful she still had a pulse. Tilting her chin back, he pinched her nose shut so no air would escape. Covering her mouth with his, he breathed air into her lungs watching her chest expand and then repeated. Instantly, he switched to her chest putting two hands on her rib cage and began pushing down giving her a quick succession of rapid compressions.

"Come on Leese. Don't do this to me." He muttered as he covered her mouth again, breathing in the air that she desperately needed. Suddenly, she jerked upwards slightly and he took his mouth off hers as he watched her body gave way to a paroxysm of coughing. He grasped her shoulders, tilting her to the side as her coughs receded and she gulped in air, her chest heaving.

Her eyes focused on his with a look of utter confusion. "Jack." She whispered and suddenly sat up. "Where's Crane?"

"He's gone, Leese." He responded, his expression seemed fixed and emotionless yet his eyes betrayed his relief.

"What…?" She asked as she struggled to stand up.

"He's dead which you'll soon be if you don't get off this plane." Jackson said as he strapped on her parachute more tightly and gripped her arm to help her to her feet. She didn't resist but watched his efforts numbly.

"But what about…" Her voice trailed off. _Something happened. He saved my life. Is that possible?_ She wondered.

"You're free. Once you step off this plane, I'm letting you go." He responded shortly.

"But why?" Lisa asked. _Why am I even arguing with him on this?_ But she had to know.

"Because you're right. You'll never belong to me the way I want you to. True, you'll stop resisting me eventually but that fire that I grew to love would burn out. You'd be nothing but an empty shell of what you were and that's not what I want any longer. It's time we both moved forward." Jackson said as he pushed her towards the exit.

_Always look forward._ She reflected on her grandmother's words which ultimately propelled Lisa to sit next to Jackson in the bar all those years ago. _I was always afraid of taking risks in life. It was easier to cling to what was comfortable. I fought my immediate impulse for safety and my life changed into a nightmare. Is it finally ending? _"I…." Lisa said as she looked into his cerulean eyes for the last time. Words escaped her as she realized that this man who had tormented her unceasingly was now offering her freedom without demands or restrictions. "Thank you." She murmured. That was the best she could offer him after all the unimaginable terror he put her through but for a moment she saw a glimmer of the man she had seen at the bar. _There is some humanity within him after all. It wasn't just an illusion. _"Jackson, thank you."

"Time to go, Lisa." Jackson said and Lisa tumbled out of the plane hurtling towards the ocean. Her breath ripped away from her, feeling the weight of gravity press against her as her hand pulled instinctively at the release cord for the parachute and she felt herself pulled backwards as it deployed. When she was about to hit the ocean surface, she pulled a another cord above her causing the parachute to fall back so she wouldn't drown under the voluminous layers.

Entering the water was a shock to Lisa's already fragile system and she gasped from the sudden frigid temperature of the ocean. She managed to release the parachute harness and attempted to tread water despite the cold seeping through her entire body. A loud, rhythmic noise sounded from overhead as she looked up to see a helicopter circling the area. She stared at it in wonder as she gagged on a mouthful of saltwater as waves crashed over caused by the rotating propellers.

Her throat was already swollen from Crane's attempt to strangle her and she desperately tried to vent the seawater from her lungs. Her arms flailed upwards to keep her head above the murky depths of the ocean when suddenly from overhead two strong arms encircled her, pulling her upwards swiftly only to lay her gently on a metal surface which pulsed from the constant motion. _I'm in the helicopter. Am I really free? _She had closed her eyes not daring to believe she was finally safe from all the hell she had endured that day.

"Lisa, are you still with me?" Her eyes flew open at the sound of Bruce's voice. She tried to speak as tears filled her eyes at the welcoming sight. "Bruce." She managed to whisper. "I thought I'd never see you again." His strong arms pulled her into a deep embrace as she leaned contently on his shoulder.

"Wait…Jane. Is she okay?" Lisa asked as her eyes glanced around the rough interior of the helicopter.

"Yes, so far." A shaky voice answered and Lisa turned to see Jane leaning against the metal casing. "Is it finally over?" She asked uncertainly.

A loud crash followed by an explosion shook the small craft as they watched the luxury jet that had once been their prison, sink into the water as the remnants of jet fuel burned on the ocean. _No one else would have been able to escape in time._ Lisa realized as she watched the scene, leaning against Bruce as the helicopter soared higher into the air heading back to Gotham City. Internally, a part of Lisa felt deadened by observing the catastrophe. No pain, sadness or hatred. Just empty._ I hope you find the peace in death you couldn't find in life, Jackson._ She prayed silently as she turned to Jane.

"Yes, the nightmare has finally ended." Lisa said as she huddled contently within Bruce's arms.

**The last main chapter and the next one is the epilogue. Special thanks to Royal09 for her advice on martial arts and action sequence suggestions. Thank you to Not Human for her recommendations for her characters and allowing me to use them!**


	43. Transition of Destiny

Lisa Reisert and Jane Savary came back to a Gotham marked by the recent despair the brothers had left in their wake. _Nothing can ever be simple._ Lisa thought. The joy she felt upon her return to Wayne Manor was inevitably cut short as the news of John Barrington's death reached his daughter, Jenny. Another death to add to an already countless pile of those martyred for what was said to be the greater good.

Indirectly, Lisa felt partially to blame for his death as her heart went out to the girl who was now orphaned and alone. She was an only child with no known relatives now forced to grow up too quickly in a world filled with evil that she was hardly prepared for.

Dr. Cole, whom had tried to intercede on their behalf during their imprisonment in Arkham was still in critical condition but doctors assured Lisa he would likely make a full recovery. The other hostages, though traumatized, were unharmed and shortly after the crisis, Jonathan Crane's files of the patients he experimented with causing their untimely death became public knowledge.

Lisa decided to stay in Gotham City feeling for the first time a sense of security with Bruce as she continued to reside at Wayne Manor. She had a distinct feeling of family as she shared the house with Bruce, Jane and Alfred.

Jane was still plagued by relentless nightmares as she acclimated to being in the enormous house. At times she was convinced that Crane was still roaming the hallways, his distant, cold voice echoed within her mind hungrily demanding her fears. "I can't forget, Lisa no matter how hard I try." Jane confided as Lisa sat on her bed after a particularly, terrible dream.

"I know." Lisa said knowingly. "You won't forget but in time the memories will lose their grip on you. You can use them to make you stronger."

"It'll take time." Jane said with a sigh of desperation. "Maybe forever."

Lisa shook her head as she recalled thinking the same thing only a few short months ago. An eternity had seemed to pass by within that encapsulated period and she resolved to never allow anyone to make her less then what she was. For now, she stood triumphant over those who came to harm her but it wasn't enough. She convinced Jane to join her in learning self defense and martial arts from Bruce who instructed the two of them within the privacy of his in home gym.

Jane derived a certain sense of power from those lessons as she learned to use the strength of others to their disadvantage. The innocence that she held only months before had disappeared has her grey eyes were filled with wisdom and perseverance. Hesitantly, she started to go back to the same church she had attended on a regular basis before her forced commitment. Again, she was reacquainted with her faith that had seemed lost in the dismal corridors of Arkham.

Lately, she had missed Angie who was the only other person to know the hell that she had endured in the asylum. She had made arrangements to visit her hoping that Angie would fill in the gaps of memory that seemed like dark voids in Jane's mind.

The truth had finally come out about Dr. Cameron's attacking Angie and the subsequent rape as Jonathan Crane's files were perused by the police as they tried to determine the extent of his crimes. Jane was disgusted as she found out the news.

"Angie never told you she was raped by him?" Lisa asked.

"Not in so many words. She lived in a world of denial she built up around herself. But, that's how she survived Arkham and Dr. Crane." Jane said. Crane was no longer Scarecrow to her and she refused to give him that power in her mind. He was just a man whom led a life tormenting others until he suffered the consequences for his actions at the hands of his own brother.

Bruce, Lisa and Jane attended the funeral for John Barrington quietly sitting in the back as the church became overflowing with friends and family of the deceased. Jenny was sitting up front weeping as Lisa knew that the minister's words offered little comfort. As they approached her to pay their respects, Lisa could only manage to whisper, "I'm so sorry. If there is anything…"

Jenny's head snapped up as she looked directly at Lisa, her hazel eyes filled with recognition. "You've done enough." She muttered coldly.

Brushing aside strands of her long blond hair, she turned to Bruce and Jane. "Why are you here? Do you take some personal enjoyment from seeing me suffer?" The animosity was evident in her voice and Lisa understood that Jenny was finding solace in her resentment. Lisa and Jane were simply the convenient focus of her anger as she gradually began to accept the fact that her father was indeed gone.

Lisa took a step backwards at Jenny's harsh words but Bruce stood unmoved. "Not at all, Jenny. We simply wanted to offer you support." Removing a card from his wallet. "If you need anything; advice, a job…"

"I don't need a job. I'm going to college in the fall." She stated firmly.

"You're still going to school. I heard you were postponing your admittance until the spring." Bruce commented with a look of surprise on his face. "With probate court and everything…"

"There is no one to contest the will, Mr. Wayne." She said bitterly. "My last relative is dead and now I'm alone. My father was everything…" Jenny started to choke on a sob that emerged to her throat and she turned to run out of the chapel but he caught her arm, pulling her to him. She resisted the offered embrace at first, her hands pushing against his navy blue suit until her defiance gave way to an overwhelming fatigue as she collapsed against him, her small form trembling as she wept.

"I promise you, Jenny, in my city, you are never alone." Bruce told her softly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_You are never alone._ Those words clung to Jenny as her plane landed at the San Francisco International Airport. "I'm alone now." She whispered as she got off the jet into the busy airport terminal. Heading towards baggage claim, she managed to retrieve her luggage which was an arduous task considering how much she packed.

She had been forced to sell her father's house. Jenny couldn't cope with the memories that each room seemed to contain from a much happier time.

_Jenny and her father had been watching President Bush make his latest announcements about a clean coal initiative where he was budgeting two billion dollars over the next ten years. On the television, she watched him stand before the press as he seemed to make one ridiculous statement after another._

"_The long term strategy is to power our automobiles with something other then oil." Bush said decisively. "Something other then gasoline which is derived from oil."_

"_Gasoline is derived from oil?" She repeated, shaking her head. "Is he saying that just in case the renewable fuel organization had no idea where gasoline came from?" Jenny asked in disbelief after Bush announced the need to find alternative forms of fuel other then gasoline. "What person wouldn't know that gasoline is derived from oil? Is this idiot for real?" _

_John Barrington was watching the TV with a grim expression on his face. "Unfortunately he is and that sad thing is I work for him"_

"_Maybe one day they'll put my theory into practice and we don't have to be dependent on oil companies whom are price fixing gasoline." Jenny muttered._

"_I wouldn't be surprised, Jenn. Stanford won't know what hit them." He said smiling._

Jenny swallowed forcing the lump within her throat to dissolve as she reflected on her father. He was always a source of encouragement for her and now, she stood on a precipice, uncertain of what events would unfold as she was about to begin her first semester of college. _I hope I have as much confidence in myself as you did, Dad._ She thought as she wheeled her baggage forwards towards the exit.

Looking around for a taxi, her eyes happened to fall on the other travelers whom were milling around the sidewalk. For an instant, she saw a man with dark hair and pale blue eyes that seemed to intensely focused on hers. It was a face that was reminiscent of her nightmare from the past of the man who threatened her in the drug store and had helped to kill her father. _It can't be._ She thought. _He's dead and decaying somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean._

Blinking her eyes rapidly, she looked again to find that he disappeared. _You're just being paranoid._ She chided herself as she got into a taxi and directed the driver to the university unaware of the vehicle that carefully shadowed the car to its final destination.

**Well, this is the end of Haunted and I'll be starting to write the sequel which I'm going to be calling "Shadows on the Wall". Kind of in respect to "The Allegory of the Cave". Anyway, I'll be taking a couple days from posting to properly research and develop the beginning chapters and flesh out my outline a bit. Obviously, Jenny will be the main character.**

**Thank you so much to all my reviewers and I hope you guys will read the sequel. A special thanks to Not Human for lending me her characters and to Royal09 who helped with plot concepts, etc. And the above statement regarding the quote from Bush is absolutely his words taken from a recent press conference. The related material I must credit "The Daily Show with John Stewart"**


End file.
